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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think this is an inappropriate thing for a 2 year old to play with of am I over reacting?

87 replies

DetectivePotato · 14/06/2010 18:46

My DS went to ILs yesterday with DH.

When they came home DS was saying something about a butterfly and DH said his mum has a bowl of glass beads with some glass animals in that she lets DS play with. I asked him if he was watching him and he said no as his mum and step dad were.

IMO, even if he is being watched, I don't think it is an appropriate thing to play with. My nan agreed but am I over reacting seeing as they were watching him?

OP posts:

libelulle · 14/06/2010 20:36

DD is 2 and if we'd disallowed all choking hazards her play would be significantly impeded - her very favourite activity is decanting small round objects (buttons, money, pasta) into various containers. In the last 6 months she has never tried to put anything inappropriate in her mouth, so she is allowed to play with such things semi-supervised (eg while I cook next door). By the time they're 2, as long as they don't show inveterate tendencies to mouth objects, I think most kids are fine. As people say, what do you do with gravel?! Bark at the play area? Much better to instill good sense in them as soon as is realistically possible.

Morloth · 14/06/2010 20:37

I don't think 3rd children can choke can they? Don't they come with special throats by that point? All the 3rd children I know seem to be able to mince up all the things that the 1sts would have definitely died from putting in their mouths...

cory · 14/06/2010 20:46

not patronising: chances are with a second or third child it is no longer possible to keep the house 100% baby safe, because big brother or sister is always going to be dumping his ghastly toys where you least want them

Morloth · 14/06/2010 20:48

Yes, like sharp little pieces of lego in the fucking hallway at 3am for instance.

thisisyesterday · 14/06/2010 20:51

morloth you're right

the other day i stuck my finger into ds3's mouth and out came a marble.
then another
then another!

poor 3rd children

thisisyesterday · 14/06/2010 20:51

morloth you're right

the other day i stuck my finger into ds3's mouth and out came a marble.
then another
then another!

poor 3rd children

Morloth · 14/06/2010 20:54

Nah, I think they get the best deal personally. I know DS2 is already having a whole lot more fun than DS1 did because we have loosened up so much.

liberty30 · 14/06/2010 20:57

lol - thought you were going to say a ds or something !! Erm either you're being unreasonable or I am - BUT ... I let my 2 yr old daughter play with her brothers collection of polished stones (similar idea) ... and yes she's pretty much unsupervised. But then I know my girl - and she doesnt put them in her mouth any more . Good for fine motor skills, imagination and are quite tactile and satisfying therefore good for emotional/sensory development ;)

How about this one - my neighbour lets her dd play with kitchen scissors unsupervised in the garden (she's 3) . My hearts in my mouth everytime I see her brandishing them !! And the best bit is her mum's an infant teacher !!!!

wannaBe · 14/06/2010 21:09

not patronising at all to suggest it might be op's first. Fact is that by the time you have a second, or more you can't baby proof the house anyway and they'll be playing with all manner of things, lego, playmobil, with their teeny tiny pieces waaay before they're of an age where you can even reason with them.

Tbh I'd be far more worried about something that couldn't slide than a round glass beed that would probably go straight down and ultimately out the other end.

Kiwinyc · 14/06/2010 21:16

erm, whats wrong with letting a child play with scissors? My DD2 loved cutting up paper from the moment she figured how to operate them, which was probably age 2.

Anyway, it depends on the kid imo. DD1 put everything in her mouth including gravel, sticks, bits of breads for the ducks that fell on the ground instead of the pond and anything else that would fit and wasn't attached. DD2 did not have the same oral fixation and so i would have been fine with her and a bowl of glass beads, but not DD1.

MrsWobbleTheWaitress · 14/06/2010 21:24

Mutt - sorry you felt that was patronising, but if the OP had older children, I would be very surprised if her toddler had not already come into frequent contact with small objects! There was no need for such a rude response!

liberty - my 3yo's been cutting with scissors for absolutely ages! My 20m old can make small cuts in the edge of paper and will spend ages and ages doing it. I show her how to hold them safely, just like I did her older sisters. The only injury I've had was DD3 with a very small cut on her finger...except that was from the paper not the scissors

Morloth · 14/06/2010 21:25

DS1 tells me off for not carrying scissors properly.

Oblomov · 14/06/2010 21:26

scissors ? whats wrong with young ones learning how to use scissors ? oh no, you can't use plastic scissors, ( which even if they were used to stab visciously, wouldn't hurt a bean !!) till you are atleast 15/7/14 and 3/4 if adrian mole . come on.
and op ? the whole idea is , think about it. you go to nana's. and you see her glass this and that/chess set / porcelin whatever. if helped. what could you want to touch more ? nothing. other than the excitement of touching something valueable and breakable. not the same if you are left alone with it for 35 minutes.

come on now. is this for real ?

MrsWobbleTheWaitress · 14/06/2010 21:27

Plastic scissors!? They are so crap aren't they? As if anyone could learn to cut with them - you'd give up before you got anywhere!

Hulababy · 14/06/2010 21:33

I think the glass beads and scissors are fine with supervision. It is how children learn - to be shown and to be allowed supervised access.

Oblomov · 14/06/2010 21:35

not that i was ever very pfb with ds1, but with ds2 everyone keeps saying, oh he's got something in his mouth. and i say, 'yeah, so what' and put pops a small plastic ball. or numerous bits of lego - laughing at the sharp bit that you tred on at 3am - and he has loads in his mouth. i just fish them out from time to time. sometimes i don't even bother.

people worry too much.

PotPourri · 14/06/2010 21:50

fine if being watched

missmoopy · 14/06/2010 21:53

Think YABU.

OrmRenewed · 14/06/2010 21:53

YANBU! SHe could have broken them and that would be a shame

Jamieandhismagictorch · 14/06/2010 23:06

I think it is important to master the "little finger hook" manouevre (sp?)

sayithowitis · 14/06/2010 23:15

You would be amazed at the number of children in year 3 and 4 who are unable to use a pair of scissors. So, as long as the child has been taught to handle them properly, good on the neighbour I say! ( I spent many hours last week having to cut squares and rectangles out for 7 and 8 year olds who were unable to do so for themselves!)

wastingaway · 14/06/2010 23:16

DS tells me 'scissors are sharp!'
I was planning on consulting you all on introducing scissors to a 2 year old shortly, won't need to now!

thisisyesterday · 14/06/2010 23:17

Orm, do you know earlier I was thinkikng that the only reason I would n ot want my child doing this would be in case they broke something and the owner was upset lol

cece · 14/06/2010 23:17

LOL at the 3rd child comments. Found mine playing with the toilet brush the other day! My firends third one had fun in my garden one day puttin rabbit poo in his mouth.

thisisyesterday · 14/06/2010 23:21

oh god the toilet brush. favoured implement of my second and third children

If I see either of them go near the bathroom I have to run after them to take it away
otherwise it's all over the house

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