Kids breaking things and not understanding the importance of looking after their toys

[sunshine05]

My 5 yo son is a pretty normal boy- not overly naughty, but he does tend to break things sometimes (as does his brother) usually when using a toy the way it was not intended or stretching/pulling something too much. He's now accidentally broken the top of our trampoline- he was jumping and trying to grab the net. Now we have to get it fixed and understandably DH is very annoyed. Now from my perspective, I'm annoyed too but also realise he didn't do it on purpose- well at least didn't intend the end result to be in the breaking of the trampoline. Not sure if we should punish him harshly or try and drill in now important it is to look after things. I do tell him but I'm not sure he really gets it. How do i get him to be more gentle with toys and not break things? He's not outwardly destructive or angry/violent or anything like that.

I read somewhere that reducing the amount of toys they have makes them appreciate them more?? maybe we should try that....

You could be right - maybe the fewer toys they have, the more likely they are to cherish them, and be upset if they get broken.

Perhaps that's the best way to learn how to look after things.

Fewer toys and don't replace things so quickly. E.g. leave the trampoline and don't let him on it. I.e. naturally consequences. Teach him how to handle things and give him stuff he can take apart eg lego and remind him.

thanks for the replies. DH reckons our kids are overly bad at treating their toys with care- I think he just thinks that but doesn't realise a lot of kids are the same. (or maybe I'm just being a mother and defending them!) I will keep drilling into them to look after their stuff and thinking of doing a toy rota and putting some in a box in the loft so they don't have so many lying around...

Now we have to get it fixed and understandably DH is very annoyed.

Or don't get it fixed for a while, until you have set aside some cash to get it fixed - perhaps get him to choose which toys to sell to pay for it.

You are the parents, if you just keep replacing things then they will never learn the value of anything.

Don't get it fixed. Not immediately at any rate. Make it 'off limits' because it's broken. That will be a reminder that breaking things has consequences.

I don't think punishment works, and I don't think that lectures about taking care of things works. But when your behaviour has a clear and obvious effect (messing about = broken thing = thing no longer available) it makes sense and settles into your brain.

good idea FunkyBoldRibena I'm not sure if selling some of his toys is too harsh -if he'd done it on purpose fair enough! But will definitely think about this next time he breaks something and doesn't think of the consequences.