Most Annoying Sound Ever!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hunni Bee]

I used to get a lot of this...I had a little guy who did this EVERY SECOND...he left me to go to Head Start, but still comes to me in the afternoon...you know when he's there .

My boys know excessive crashing/weird noises/screaming/etc..will require me to to put those toys up for a while and make them play somewhere else, so they only need a few warnings.

Guns or killing warrant no warnings. Offending toy immediately put up and person sent to either housekeeping or reading center.

[Hunni Bee]

I just can't stand that everything (clothes, toys, cereal.....etc) is SUPERHERO stuff.

Me EITHER. Ugh! In fact, I hate ALL licensed character stuff for kids. Especially books. The child can't focus on the book or the story because all they see is Dora or Cars or Spiderman or whoever. With the toys, most likely there's only one of whatever has character crap on it, so its a fight to have possesion of it. I keep that stuff out of my classrooms as much as possible.

[2ndFamilyDC]

I have five boys and two girls. One of the boys is a baby ... the others are two to four. They NEVER do this. I don't allow it at all so I have none of it.

IME it's not a boy thing. I have had a lot of boys in the last 18 years and put a kabosh on it in my first year or so. Haven't had a problem since.

I do discuss this during the interview so the parents know upfront I don't allow superhero play or gun play. We are a completely non violent day care so I don't want the image of violence even cloaked in child's play to surface here.

Ok, so exactly how do you put the kabosh on it. Because I do too.

I also tell my parents that I do not allow it, but still EVERY boy I have does it. The older ones teach it to the younger ones. All it takes is 5 seconds of one seeing it and they are copying it.

Probably doesn't help that I almost always have all boys in my daycare.

[hoopinglady]

I watched a web cast about working with boys that totally changed my way of caring for boys.

I wish I'd watched it two years ago when I had a house full of 4 year old boys that I did not understand.

I don't know if I could find the presentation again but it was very helpful.

One quote that stuck with me is "wrestling is how boys say hello" ::

It gave ideas like providing a obstacle course around the outside of the classroom, modified weight benches, stuff to tinker with, ways to move their bodies.

The superhero stuff is part media and part nature, I'd say. It doesn't have to be about violence. It's about being strong and powerful in a world where their power is very limited.

I allow the superhero stuff to play out but I do say "no fighting".

I've heard of people having a wrestling corner.

Do what you are comfy with but certainly try to take into consideration that their little minds work differently than our female minds. I think this is often where boys get the short end of the stick (so many women in ECE).

Furthermore, I've had kids come into my care that did not know how to pretend play, everything was a copy of something they saw on tv or movies. But after a while, that would LEAD to more imaginative scenarios. My 3yo dcb may still always be buzz lightyear in a game but it won't be a copy of the actual movie, kwim.

If the noise level is really grating on me and I know intellectually that they are not doing anything wrong I will turn on my music and tune out a bit, or vacuumm the floor.

Good luck.

[Blackcat31]

Furthermore, I've had kids come into my care that did not know how to pretend play, everything was a copy of something they saw on tv or movies. But after a while, that would LEAD to more imaginative scenarios. My 3yo dcb may still always be buzz lightyear in a game but it won't be a copy of the actual movie, kwim.

Good luck.

THAT is exactly why I ditched the TV a year ago! We are absolutley ZERO TV here. It really does make a difference with how the kids play. Almost all my boys simply re-enacted scenes from their favorite cartoon or movie. None of them had any idea how to pretend paly and actually use their imaginations. Now they all know how to "pretend" and be creative.

I wish I would have video taped the change in them. I even have parents who comment about how different their boys play now and how they enjoy simple pleasure while playing like empty boxes, cardboard paper towel tubes, etc....