Conference moira::parenting

    
    
    Hi...
    
    We're having the same problem and it sounds like our children
    are around the same age.
    
    I was going to pick-up this "bucket" thing I've seen around in 
    a few stores.  It's shallow enough for them to reach into but looks
    like a good size (holds lots of toys) and has handles on the sides
    and I believe the come in many trendy colors.  *8^)
    
    I was thinking of getting Patrick a nice toybox that is also a 
    bench we could use for him as he got older.  The more but I think 
    about it, that would be too hard for him to get his toys in and out 
    of and I'd be afraid of him pinching his fingers in the top.
    
    Just a though....
    
    Kristin
    

    Wow, after reading Kristen's note I realized that a sturdy laundry
    basket will be perfect for using as a toybox while Aaron is littler
    (he's 9 1/2 months now).  Something bright that I can use later as a
    laundry basket.  After that I think I'm going to get him one of the
    Fisher Price toy boxes.
    
    sandy

    I have 3 large plastic buckets, they come in all sorts of colors, mine
    are red, bright blue and purple. I got them at spags. The have a nylon
    rope handle on each side. 
    
    I have used them for 3 years now and I must say they really are great.
    Easy to access and best of all easy to toss everything back in. We one
    bucket in each room that we and the children are apt to be in. We also
    have one in the older childs bedroom. If he wants some quite time by
    himself he can go to his room and play.
    
     

If you get a regular toy box, get one with a top that comes completely off,
rather than one with an attached hinged top.  The hinged tops can be dangerous.

We have a Little Tykes toy box with a separate top.  Josh (3) has, on a couple
of occasions, climbed in and methodically taken everything out of the box.  It
looked so funny it was hard to get upset; we took pictures!

						Brian

My parents bought my son (who's now 19 months old) one of the Little Tykes
toy boxes that the previous noter also mentioned.  The top comes off which
eliminates fingers getting pinched, etc..  My son has had this toy box
since he was 6 months old and although he didn't use it until he was
11 months or so, we have found it to be quite adequate.  It's plastic with
rounded edges, lightweight (except when it's full of toys) and it's easy
for them to get their toys in and out.  I would definitely recommend them.
They are available in most stores!

/Karen

    Thanks for your replies.....Mary

    I use one of those storage totes, a 33 gallon.  They're sturdy
    plastic and have a plastic lid.  They fit nicely in a closet
    floor for when I can get the toys out of the living room.
    
    They are often on sale for anywhere's from $9.99 to $13.99.
    
    I also use that same tote for when we head up to the cottage
    for the week (summer).  I pack all of Angeline's clothes, some
    toys, and other essentials for the week in the one big tote.
    
    						cj *->

    We just picked up one of the new toy boxes (thinkStep 3 or Little Tykes) 
    that has atleast a 6 inch gap in the front. it's heavy plastic and holds
    more toys than imaginable (3 shelves of toys from a changing table) for
    $39. - Toys r Us. It's sturdy enough for adults to sit on. We're
    thinking of getting a smaller one for boots, gloves, skates, etc.
    medium blue and off-white molded plastic - (very light, can lift with
    one hand)

    We use two big laundry baskets for toys.  Although, we really do need
    a third one these days...
    
    My old daycare provider gave me an idea that I've been using for a
    long time.  We keep one toybasket full of toys available and the other
    one goes somewhere out of site. (our basement)  Every so often when I
    think of it I switch it for the other one keeping out a couple of 
    Justin's favorites.  Whenever I do this it's like he's gotten a bunch
    of presents or something and his attention span for each toy is much
    longer because everything seems new.  Justin is almost 4 now and this
    still works.
    
    Gail

    I recommend bookshelves instead. Toy boxes may contribute to the mess
    in that everything gets thrown into it and things get messed up. I have
    found that bookshelves encourage my daughter to put  things back where
    they belong, keep pieces together, etc. They come in a wide variety of
    colors and price ranges and have much longer term use in most homes.

    We used a nice wicker (or something like that) basket that looked good
    in the living room when my first daughter was small.  It was a great
    size then, but I find it hard to believe that there was a time when
    every toy she owned fit in a basket!  This one was round without a top,
    so it was easy to dunk the toys.
    
    Rotating toys is a great idea!  My friend Rachel did it successfully
    for years and we've done it at different times.  It's great to see kids
    so excited about their own old toys!  This only really works, in my
    experience, if the toys are totally out of sight, and for long enough
    (months for us).  And you might as well enjoy it while it lasts,
    because eventually their memory will increase and they will cease to be
    amazed (and they'll find the hidden toys).

    
    Want MY toybox???  I hate the thing - it's a big dumping ground, and
    always ends up a MESS!!!  It's one of the "nicer" ones, that's a toybox
    and a desk.  Bright primary colors.  Full of JUNK!  At any given
    moment, I could probably dump the thing in the trash, and no one would
    miss what's in it.  SHELVES!!!  And smaller plastic buckets/baskets on
    the shelves work MUCH better .... IMO.

    Patty also has an out-of-use changing table that now houses a ton of
    toys. I thought that was a good idea too!
    
    						cj *->

    
    I'm in agreement with .12.  Emily's toy box is a mess.  I have started
    to put in her toys in neat piles and am showing her out to put all the
    pieces back together before she puts away a toy.  With the toy box she
    tends (and mom too) to just pick up the toys and chuck them in the box.
    
    For Christmas we are building shelves for her room.  The toy box will
    be used for dress up clothes.
    
    /k

    My father bought my daughter a Step 2 Toy Box when she was 2. It is
    made of heavy duty plastic, is rounded and has gaps between the lid and
    the box itself.  She loves to get inside the toybox with her stuffed
    animals and I don't worry about it harming her.  It is sturdy enough
    for an adult or two to sit on and wipes up nicely for cleaning.  It is
    grey and teal colored, but reamins fairly neutral in a variety of
    colors in her rooms.  I highly recommend it.

    
    I love the Step 2 toybox, too.  It is very roomy.
    
    ...................beth