Toys: Privilege or Punishment?

It started with Legos and Transformers. Then lightsabers and Nerf guns. Then video games, tv time and computer time. If I ever wondered what would happen if I confiscated all the boys’ (valued) toys, now I know. And if you’re wondering WHY…let’s just say that Daylight Savings time is wrecking havoc on our bedtime routine (refer to my prior post).

Here’s what happened today (without toys)…I found that the boys played outside for a while and then did puzzles together! Who knew the boys could play so collaboratively, cooperatively and creatively together when there aren’t toys to fight over? But THEN they started missing their Star Wars toys… so they made their own! I agreed it was a great idea and fun activity. I could see the excitement mounting as the ideas started building in their minds. The next thing I knew they’re moving chairs to rummage through the cabinets for material to use for recreating various Star Wars scenes. There were coffee filters, tin foil and lots of painter’s tape. Not to mention pens and paper. Since the boys were occupying themselves constructively and without incident, I went about my work and checked in every so often. Garrett made an R2D2 and C3PO and Blake made a “scene” of asteroids flying through space. Even better, I thought, that they were also incorporating some science.

Although this play consumed most of the afternoon, they inevitably lost excitement for it and moved on to something else…and THEN I saw the mess they made in the kitchen… Paper EVERYWHERE (the confetti byproduct of asteroid explosions), foil “asteroid” balls strewn about and spaceship carnage left for oblivion…and then there are the pieces of tape sticking much of it to the floor. I should have known…it was much too quiet and the boys were much too content for much too long. I can’t exactly complain, however, since I was the one who took all their toys away.

So what did I learn? That when left to their own devices kids are ingenious, creative and resourceful (NOT something I want to discourage). Their reward for cleaning up this mess was to earn their toys back…at least the big ones that are easy to pick up. This way, everyone wins…and next time I have to confiscate toys I will start with the less tangible ones (like tv and computer time).