Destructive DC Kids

[mac60]

Why do 2 1/2 yr old think they need to sit in your backyard and rip grass out till there is a bare spot? Amazing what a child can do sitting with their back to you. Sometimes makes me wonder what these kids get away with at home.

[tymaboy]

When I had a 2 & 3 yr old they would distroy the toys I now have a 16 month old that I am trying to teach to "play" nice with the toys.

[Chickenhauler]

If the worst thing the child does is rip up some grass, you got a "good one".


Red Sovine sang a song about just this once-"It'll come back" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNxlRnFoyfM

You say the kid is 2-1/2....not knowing what climate/region of the country you're in, it may be that the kid hasn't seen grass since last summer, which would have been about 20-24 months old.

If you think what he's doing to the lawn is bad, leave the kid in a room with a kitten for 30 mins and come back and see what's left-kids are animals, it's our duty to teach them to be civil human beings.

[mac60]

Don't take this wrong, but to me it is amazing how so many people think being destructive is "ok". Kids need to learn right and wrong, and at age 2 1/2 they are quite capable of that. I guess I am old school, where I expect a child to behave, and if they don't there should be consequences. No wonder there are so many hellions out here with parents/ providers with their newfangled way of discipline/and thinking some things are just "ok".

If my dc kids did not have activities to do while we were outside, that would be different, but they have more than my own children had 16 years ago. No reason to destroy things. Just my opinion though.

[GretasLittleFriends]

Out of curiosity, are they using the grass they rip out for an alternate purpose or are they just ripping it? I've seen kids pick grass then use it to make pretend food outside using a frisbee as a plate, but of course they don't rip the spot bare.

I agree that the 2 1/2 yr old needs to learn that ripping the grass out like that is unacceptable at your home. It's possible that the parents haven't caught the child ripping the grass or they don't think of it as destructive. Honestly, I'm not sure that I would, depending on how much grass and how big the bare spot was. But truly it's about respecting other people's property. I've got a 3 almost 4 yr old who was rather hard on my toys. He would stomp them just to stomp them. I've found out that this is how he treats his toys at home, so he thought he could do it here too. After a few time-out sessions, certain toys being removed (because their feelings were hurt) and some discussion about respect, he's pretty well behaved with my toys.

[mac60]

Just putting it in a pile. I agree, kids just need to respect things and it needs to be taught at a very early age.

[Chickenhauler]

Just putting it in a pile. I agree, kids just need to respect things and it needs to be taught at a very early age.

It really comes down to the yard-at our house, ripping up grass is no biggie, but we have over 3 acres of space for DC kids to play, so it's rare that one area (aside from under the tire swing) sees a lot of heavy action.

[Daniel]

Daniel

my children are only 2yrs ancinet and 15 weeks ancinet so they dont write a list but when they get older i want them to write a list.i always did for my grandparents (as we always spent xmas with them) and it was brilliant. you can get baby laptops that teach numbers, shapes, colours etc. i got my daughter a keyboard. she got a bear that has a book with nums n letters on and it tlks to her and gets her to spell things. i got her colouring books too as they help with hand-eye co-ordination. i also got her a winnie the pooh book but it has a cd with it that reads the sotry to her.

[My3cents]

rip the grass less mowing they rip but it grows back for me anyhow::

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Don't take this wrong, but to me it is amazing how so many people think being destructive is "ok". Kids need to learn right and wrong, and at age 2 1/2 they are quite capable of that. I guess I am old school, where I expect a child to behave, and if they don't there should be consequences. No wonder there are so many hellions out here with parents/ providers with their newfangled way of discipline/and thinking some things are just "ok".

If my dc kids did not have activities to do while we were outside, that would be different, but they have more than my own children had 16 years ago. No reason to destroy things. Just my opinion though.

I totally agree with you. Unfortunately, I'm extremely young and tend to be the "odd one out" with my way of thinking.

[Hunni Bee]

I totally agree with you. Unfortunately, I'm extremely young and tend to be the "odd one out" with my way of thinking.

No, I figure you and me to be around the same age (Im 25) and I totally am like that. We have a really pretty, but low hanging tree in the dc yard. It has fragrant pink flowers on it in the spring, pretty leaves in the summer, fuzzy buds in the winter. EVERY time my dcks walk past it they have to rip something off it. Ive bern through my "respect nature" spiel 10000 times about it, doesn't matter.

Drives me batty.

[Countrygal]

Why do 2 1/2 yr old think they need to sit in your backyard and rip grass out till there is a bare spot? Amazing what a child can do sitting with their back to you. Sometimes makes me wonder what these kids get away with at home.

I have a 4yo who does this very thing - or he skips the pulling of the grass and just digs with whatever is available, a truck, his hands. We've had several "discussions about his behavior.

[MizzCheryl]

Don't take this wrong, but to me it is amazing how so many people think being destructive is "ok". Kids need to learn right and wrong, and at age 2 1/2 they are quite capable of that. I guess I am old school, where I expect a child to behave, and if they don't there should be consequences. No wonder there are so many hellions out here with parents/ providers with their newfangled way of discipline/and thinking some things are just "ok".

If my dc kids did not have activities to do while we were outside, that would be different, but they have more than my own children had 16 years ago. No reason to destroy things. Just my opinion though.