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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

When your kids have friends over where do they play?

48 replies

cba · 14/07/2008 21:19

Do they play in the bedrooms or downstairs in the room that they normally play in?

I am feeling totally overwhelmed with having three children and toys all over. When they have friends over they seem to be like whirlwinds all over the place. My kids are two boys 7 and 5, and our daughter who is just 3.

I have a few options:

a. make the dining room a playroom and all kids in there friends and all?

b. living room which is 31 foot long to be a living room / playroom.

c. living room to be combined living and dining.

d. we were thinking of knocking kitchen into living anyway, so then current dining room could be a permanent playroom.

Are you keeping up??

or do I make dining the dining room, living room a living room with a few toys and play in bedroom with friends.

Can you tell my head is filled with toys??? Just want to feel organised.

PLEASE HELP

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ruddynorah · 15/07/2008 08:25

well dd is only 2 but i have it basically 'big' play is in the play room, ie play kitchen, all soft toys, trampette thing, tent, etc etc. then 'small' play ie drawing, fuzzy felts etc is ok in the living room. she has a basket of toys she is allowed to play with in the living room. as she gets older this will all move into the playroom.

anotherdayyetanothernickame · 15/07/2008 08:53

If I were you I'd be converting the dining room into a playroom - I think as they gt older they quite like to disappear off more and more into their own space and dining rooms are so pointless!
Your house sounds like a similar configuration to ours and at the moment I have all the toys at the back of the living room because ds and his friends are a little young to be going off unsupervised for now but as soon as I feel they are old enough I shall be purging the living room of toys!

At the moment, the dining room equivalent in our house is the toy free grown up room.

I will definitely keep bedrooms out of bounds apart from ds's and then that will be only if he wants to take his friends there- i have a thing about him keeping that as his haven/ private space if he wants to but hopefully as he gets older he will want to hang out with his friends there.

mumonthenet · 15/07/2008 22:18

mine are now 16, 13 and 11. When they were little they used build GIGANTIC lego villages, on the floor of the playroom, I might add. I used to go nuts trying to step over it all but they played so much and so happily that I tried to ignore it.

Now they tend to use the playroom more as "their space" to watch tv, download music on the computer. It's still their space, for when dh and I are watching the news or whatever.

And as I say, when they were very little they would never have gone to build lego villages in their bedrooms because they wanted (and needed) to be close to Mum and Dad.

Hulababy · 15/07/2008 22:23

When 6y DD has friends round they either play in her bedroom, her playroom our spare room) or outside.

I try to avoid, at all costs, having them in the living room - which is wherever a possible a toy free zone - except when we have babies visiting.

bozza · 15/07/2008 22:30

Mainly in their bedrooms or outside apart from when on the playstation which is currently in the living room. But I am getting less happy with that. We are talking about a major rearrangement upstairs so that we can have a study/games room with a desk/PC, comfy chair, TV on the wall, PS2 etc in there. But undecided.

Original poster

cba · 15/07/2008 22:39

yes, bozza we have a ps2 in living room ds2 not bothered. ds1 likes it but not excessivem but if i was to put in newly created playroom dd would kick off as she hates it.

But, would not feel comfortable putting it in a bedroom, kids dont have tv even up there

OP posts:

MmeLindt · 15/07/2008 22:42

They play in their own rooms or in playroom. (4yo DS and 6yo DD)

Problem is, you could convert dining room into playroom but I don't think that when they all have friends over that they would all stick to the playroom. You would surrender your dining room and they will still be all over the house.

elmoandella · 15/07/2008 22:44

to tired to read it all. we have put table in kitchen. made dining room a toy room.

just throw everything in and close the door!

(praying when you open it you don't get buried alive)

MmeLindt · 15/07/2008 22:45

And LOL at keeping their bedrooms nice for MIL

I would rather have the bedrooms untidy that the living room

Original poster

cba · 15/07/2008 22:50

well all toys out of living room, feel quite sad dd reall cottage looked gorgeous in there. Put it in the dining room and she said she didnt like it.

Living room does look gorgeous and uncluttered. Maybe might just put the cottage back in.

mme, you are right I said to the kids "right when your friends come to play, where are you going to play? what did they say? In our bedrooms no I said sweetly, in here the playroom. They then replied, but this is the dining room.

Think I might be fighting a losing battle, after all thinking of getting a wii at christmas and will want that in the living room.

someone grab a gun and shoot me.

OP posts:

Original poster

cba · 15/07/2008 22:50

oh and mil would have been very upset today when their bedrooms were like shit holes with every toy scattered.

OP posts:

elmoandella · 15/07/2008 22:53

my whole house is a contant tip

thank goodness my mil lives in italy

MmeLindt · 15/07/2008 22:56

They are only going to accept the playroom as a playroom if you redecorate.

Get them to help, they can chose the colours and perhaps a new rug or something, some beanbags.

And ban toys from other parts of the house.

As to their rooms, I do have a rule that we try to enforce that before bedtime the rooms get tidied. Works better with DS but it keeps the chaos down a bit. It has to be part of bedtime routine, tidy room, jammies on, teeth cleaned, story, bed.

Original poster

cba · 15/07/2008 22:58

oh elmo, imagine if she turned up on your doorstep no warning, you would die woulnt you.

i just spoke to dh who is away, he said let them have what they want where they want it they are only little once.

they are not going to use the dining room as a playroom, living in a dream land really it think.

May allow dd a few bits in living room as she is only three, boys can bring stuff down then can go back and maybe decorate dining room in gorgeous style.

will sleep on it and change my mind again.

OP posts:

Original poster

cba · 15/07/2008 23:00

mme, i said to them we will decorate, what colours do you think will be nice, shrugs all round.

Think it may be a bit late in the day for the boys, could be wrong. The boys tend to run upstairs to play now anyway.

oh bloody hell i hate decisions like this.

OP posts:

elmoandella · 15/07/2008 23:03

mine are both under 3. we have toys in the livingroom,kitchin/diner, toilet, in every single room upstairs, in fact, when i think about it, every single room of the house

. i throw them into that playroom everyday. and in my warbrobe upstairs. and at this time of the night i'm still stuffing it all back in ready for them to spread again the next day.

and i know how it happens.
dd is playing with something.
ds tries to steal dd decides to run away to another room with it. stash it and run back

then it happens again 5 mins later with another thing

MmeLindt · 15/07/2008 23:03

Hmm, I suspect you need girls for enthusiasm when it comes to decorating a room. My 6yo would have floor plans and colour charts done before you could blink.

Tbh, I think you should keep your dining room, they are not going to use it now.

Have you got space in there for a comfy armchair and a wee table? You could have a corner for yourself away from all the madness.

elmoandella · 15/07/2008 23:04

wow, i'm impressed you've managed to convince yourself the room needs redecorating!!!

this all started as a problem of the kids running all around the house.

lol

Original poster

cba · 15/07/2008 23:10

oh elmo the whole house needs doing, i am preparing to have it done by christmas including redecorating the boys bedrooms as well.

at the moment dining room, has three comfy chairs for the kids, leather storage box, 42" tv with dvd and computer workstation.

when we need it be a dining room we have one of those butterfly jobs, we wheel it in, shove a tablecloth on top and use the decent dining chairs from the kitchen.

So ladies while I have your intention.

Does living room become total toy free, or do I just put dd cottage in there with babies.

does dining room stay as it is or get rid of all toys and make it into a stunning dining room and second tv room in case of arguments on what is being watched.

come on what do you think, then i can get on with floor plans and colour charts.

OP posts:

jammi · 15/07/2008 23:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MmeLindt · 16/07/2008 00:46

How often do you need a dining room to dine in?

If it is quite often in use then it would be easier to have a proper table and chairs in there. If not then are you happy with the folding table? How many do you have to seat?

You could make it into a cosy retreat when you want to read/watch something else on TV/ chat with friends in peace.

Or a decent dining room with a big table. How about something like this with comfortable chairs so you and your guest want to sit longer.

I would get the toys out of the living room altogether. Pretty soon your little girl is going to be playing upstairs too so you can reclaim downstairs.

KerryMum · 16/07/2008 00:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

cba · 16/07/2008 10:03

mme, we use the dining room maybe once a week at the most but definintely special occs, such as easter and christmas.

we do struggle with the fold table if we have whole family as we need to seat 10.

that table is gorgeous and the right colour, chairs fab but would prob go for leather.

hubby home friday will chat some more with him and decide, really know where i need to come for help

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