How to stop kids from breaking their toys/being destructive?

It is EXTRA GHETTO. I honestly want to see the answers for this because my some does the same thing. But I’m trying to start having structured times for him to play with toys and do everything else so that his brain gets wired and transitions will go smoother.

mine just throws everything😭he’s only almost 2 and is picking up giant toys and throwing them😭😭😭😭

Destructive Play. Only give them stuff they can "break". If you google destructive play you find loads of ideas. A good indoors one is you give them a cardboard box and a pencil and they stab holes in it

But they also need outdoors play, several hours, every day. Easy to destroy stuff outside. Snap sticks, dig, build and knock down sandcastles etc.

Old school, gonna get hate for it, I do it anyway but I spank my kids. I tell them no and if they do it again I say no more, or you will get a spanking. They listen, my kids are not afraid of me but my toddler is obedient. Now he is destructive as heck. But if he keeps doing it anyway I throw have him throw the toy away. If he can’t take care of his stuff he has to tell it bye and throw it in the trash cause now it’s not a safe toy to play with cause of broken pieces his baby brother could swallow.

@Ella great response!!!

@Heidi @Kavonnah Hii, Montessori Educator over here and I second this! Ill also add that they may be needing to exercise their fine motor skills with their little fingers... there are LOTS of different at home and inexpensive activities you can do at home. Children, especially at a young age, have what is called "horme" ( hōr-may) aka, the vital energy or an urge to act purposefully; even if what theyre doing doesnt seem purposeful to us.

A few examples of fine motor exercises are peeling and placing stickers, stringing cheerios, ripping or crumpling paper, and placing coins in a piggy bank.

If you personal message me Id be more than happy to point yall in the right direction 🫶🏽

@sydney youre kiddos might be needing "maximum effort" stimulation. They have a range of needs and one of them is the need to use ALL of their effort and energy at once. Id suggest looking up some maximum effort play you can provide at home! If you personal message me, Id love to point you in the right direction!

One example of maximum effort play for a toddler would be to fill up a plastic gallon jug with water, seal the lid realllllyyyy good, and then allow them to push, carry, "toss", etc. it around. You can do this outside or inside! Its cost and material efficient and safe for your little ones!

Also, if they're throwing things that make a loud sound when they hit the ground, they might be experimenting with the sounds things make. I hope this all helps

I throw them away and just explain to her if she doesn’t want me to throw them away then she has to take care of them. It’s been about a year since she’s done it but all kids are different and I know boys are also very different I watch my friends son who would constantly break her toys so I would just put him in time out and he eventually stopped because he hates time out.

the house we moved into two years ago now has so much peeling walls and holes in drywall he messes around in time out and as a 3yo I know time out can’t be too long (?) so I’m just at an end here nothing is working with my 3yo my 2yo girl at least listens more than he does

I honestly avoid being home when my son gets into that kind of mood. Can't destroy anything when strapped into the stroller.

the worst omg caution zone within 3 feet of the child😂 my son only throws small toys cus big toys are a BIG no no we got a 9mo old and if it hits her we’re very upset so small toys he tries to sneak throw and if I’m busy it’s hard to watch in time out then my 2yo tries to mess w him in time out I just don’t have enough eyes at the end of the day😭

it’s hard to get out every day, I’m a mom of 3 that doesn’t know yet how to handle a day it handles me tbh my baby’s naps aren’t always the same and we can’t be outside when she’s napping and when she’s not im cleaning their current mess(s) or cooking to make sure our house is clean and food ready for the kids. We go outside every few days and go for walks I know they need it and feel bad but how overstimulated and tired I get from daily tantrums/battles it’s not every day.

see I know they love creative outlets but it doesn’t seem to feed their picking need cus they’ll still so I’m gunna def try crumping paper or some destructive play with them cus idk what I’m gunna do if they don’t take time out seriously or not care if they have all toys taken away and start peeling wallpaper again🙃😭

you are very helpful I feel like some people who plug in giving advice barely say tips but these are very helpful so thank you for your comments💗

trust me I give my kids the random cardboard boxes we have, things that are okay if torn apart since my 9mo crawls around as well as I’m scanning the area constantly they don’t just have legos or other building toys, they have inside chalkboard, physical play things like basketball and a slide and balance beams. I let them play with a spray since they spill water bottles so much to play. I give them many cuddles throughout the day most the time they’re independent doing their own stuff things. I know they’re still small I give them the safe independence they should have, been on a loose schedule but enough to build a familiarity with them. Raising kids is just hard I’ve come to realize they have so many outlets and I’m trying so hard to fulfill their needs ugh

My son was this way. Sometimes aggression can be hidden hunger or being overtired. If this isn’t the case, try keeping these toys away until you have them in a calm state, treat the teddys as if they have feelings and are fragile. Talk to the teddys like they’re kids as well. I know it sounds crazy but I did this with my son and he eventually started being more gentle with his toys. I think it’s completely normal for them to destroy a toy here and there I think it comes from the curiosity they want to know what’s inside or what your reaction will be. I noticed too that if I grabbed the toy and yelled at him or mad him feel bad for breaking it, he’d do it again. But when I started explaining to him in a calm tone, at his level, he actually understood what I was saying. Telling him “let’s be gentle with our toys because they can be fragile. If we break them, we won’t be able to have those or any more new toys :(“ and he soon realized that he needed to take care of his toys

Also I had to model for him how I play with toys and he started catching on and will repeat what I do if I make it fun.

It is genuinely really hard to meet the needs of 3 kids under 4. You sound like you're doing a great job ❤️

Do you have a backyard? That's an easy way to get your outside time