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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect my 3-year-old to keep her play-doh away from her brother?

23 replies

HuffwardlyRudge · 10/06/2009 14:47

Genuine AIBU - don't know if I am or not.

My 3-yr-old dd loves play-doh. Her 1-yr-old brother loves eating play-doh.

I have given dd a big special box to keep it all in. She can sit on her high chair at the end of the table playing where he can't reach.

I have said to her that if she keeps letting her brother get it I will put it all away...

But I still keep finding him eating gloopy globs of lime green yuck.

I'm not talking aboput bits falling on the floor without her noticing, but him somehow getting hold of big lumps of the stuff.

Am wondering if asking her to keep it away from him is expecting too much? I wouldn't have thought so, so I thought I'd ask.

OP posts:
Grammaticus · 10/06/2009 14:48

too much to hope for if she's 3. and i'm pretty strict and have high behaviour expectations!

i'd still ask her to, just wouldn't expect it to happen...

CMOTdibbler · 10/06/2009 14:49

YABU - she is only 3, so if you don't want him eating it, why not save play doh for the times when he is napping and she isn't and make it a special thing for just the two of you

SparkleandShine · 10/06/2009 14:52

Make your own - it is full of salt to stop kids eating it! play doh

BradfordMum · 10/06/2009 14:57

Put him in the high chair and let her play on another table away from him.
Anyway, at 1 and 3, you should be there to supervise, 'most' of the time, yes?

crokky · 10/06/2009 15:14

My 1yo has ended up eating my 3yo's playdoh. I don't think a 3yo can be trusted in this situation tbh!

RoseOfTheOrient · 10/06/2009 15:18

YABU - a 3 yr old cannot be expected to monitor herself like this

ArcticLemming · 10/06/2009 15:20

I feel your pain and am in the sami situation, but YABU. 3 year olds can't think about more than one thing at once.

belgo · 10/06/2009 15:20

YABU.

DD2 is 3.9 years and no way can I trust her to keep small things out of ds's way(8 months and just starting to crawl). She just does not get it at all. Dd1 is five and just about understands that ds eats things and we need to keep small things away from him.

Thunderduck · 10/06/2009 15:44

YABU.It's too much to expect of her.
When I worked/was on placement in nurseries many of the 3 year olds were still sticking everything they could fit in their mouths, so to expect a three year old to be this responsible isn't reasonable.

franke · 10/06/2009 15:46

yabu - she's only 3 and does not have that kind of self-control and awareness.

notnowbernard · 10/06/2009 15:49

Not sure I could rely on my 5.6 yr old 100% to not do this

SoupDragon · 10/06/2009 15:57

She's three, of course you're being unreasonable to expect her to stop her brother eating it.

As for the salt in homemade dough stopping them eating it... PMSL.

Original poster
HuffwardlyRudge · 10/06/2009 16:29

Fair enough. IABU.

I honestly would have thought that the 'game' of not letting ds get her play-doh, coupled with her maniacal possessiveness would have made it a reasonable expectation.

Experience has taught me otherwise though. And you lot confirm it without a doubt.

I do sometimes expect too much from her I think, because she seems so grown up compared to her brother. Must watch that.

OP posts:
Hulababy · 10/06/2009 16:35

Yes, I a afraid youa re definitely being unreasonable.

3 is still very tiny.

I would supervise Playdoh play with a 1 year old around. Then you can remind her at the end of the play session where it goes so that little brother can't get to it to keep it safe.

chegirl · 10/06/2009 17:28

YABUVU (in the nicest possible way)

My 15 year old has not learnt to keep his swallowable objects out of his lil bro's reach.

My DD and DS1 were two years apart. DS's formative years were spent wresting small plastic objects (polly pocket, lego, stickle bricks) out of his grasp (and nose and mouth).

Hate playdoh wont ave in the ouse

ChippingIn · 11/06/2009 00:26

I'm going to go against the grain. LO was able to do this/understand this before she was 3 - she was told if she let the VLO have it, it would all go in the bin. End of. Now VLO is bigger, they both make a right bloody mess with it!

Keeping small objects away is different, that involves walking around the house, lots of different objects, remembering all waking hours... playdoh is an 'at the table' activity - all she has to do is not give it to the baby... not really that hard.

Just put the big box somewhere she has to ask for it, set her up at the table and remind her of the 'rule'.

mybabywakesupsinging · 11/06/2009 00:31

DS1 knew not to give playdoh to Ds2 to eat at that age.
He didn't do it very often.
TBH ds2 worked out pretty quickly it tasted yuck anyway.

Tortington · 11/06/2009 00:38

i think your insane to have play doh in your home

ChippingIn · 11/06/2009 01:17

Ah, but what's a home without Playdoh??

Tbh, it's no bother, I keep it in a big plastic tub and they use a plastic playmat at the table and the mess they make on the (tiled) floor, just gets swept up with their meals crumbs.

chegirl · 11/06/2009 22:53

Just had a thought

We make our playdoh v.salty at work.

It helps a bit. Most of the kids learn its icky and after a few goes dont bother.

Some of the autistic children prefer it that way though. Yum Yum.

mumeeee · 11/06/2009 23:10

YABU. It's to much to expect of a three year old.

wishingchair · 11/06/2009 23:14

Too much to expect. I have regular conversation with my 6yo when she's upset cos her little sister has got hold of something precious ... "if you don't want her to have it, don't leave it lying around on the floor". And she's 6.5. But that's bits and bobs, not playdoh which neither of them can just help themselves to anyway (imagine the mess).

Blondeshavemorefun · 12/06/2009 09:04

im also going against the grain and i agree with chippingin

at 3 they should be able to listen and make sure that the playdo doesnt get stolen played with younger siblings

my dc loved playdo and i have to remind him at each play not to allow dc3 not to get it/drop huge lumps on floor

he is normally very good

salty homemade playdo tastes rank and tbh sure your dc wont eat much of it

or when 1yr is aslepp then let your 3yr play with it, and you sit and have a cuppa and relax for 20mins

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