ANSWERS: 21
  • I dont think you should walk on them, this will only teach him that its okay to damage property. I would just tell him that its okay to play with our toys, its what they are for. We must also make sure that we take care of our things, this means putting them away when we are done. Let him know that when we dont take care of our things in life, we loose them. When he leaves his toys out the next time, take them away. You could donate them to charity or keep them and allow he to earn them back by doing extra chores or something helpful without asking. This will show him that when we do take care of our things, SOMETIMES there are rewards or promotion. Vaule of our things, reward and punnishment! Hopefully these will be lessons that he will continue to apply through his lifetime. I wish you the best, this parenting thing is work!
  • you'll walk on them and maybe feel like you're teaching him a lesson for about 2 minutes, then you'll feel pretty guilty ( he is a 9 year old ) then when he realizes what you done, you will feel awful. i would seriously think twice
  • Something along those lines might be what's needed to get the point across, but don't do something you can't take back. Pretend to have thrown them away, instead.
  • It's appropriate to pack the toys up to a place your son does not know about (for example, a storage place off of your property) and to return them after he says he has learned his lesson. Next time you let him know that he has three chances to pick the toys up before they are gone. Then you only tell him two times before they are gone. Then once. Now he should be picking them up regularly. It's never appropriate to suddenly destroy things that are cherished by someone you love to "teach them a lesson." The lesson they will learn is mental abuse and that it's okay to hurt those you love. I'm worried about how your wife is willing to let you take the fall for doing something so mentally abusive. If she thinks this is appropriate (which it is not), she should do it herself, not talk you into it. Thank you for posting before you went ahead and did it.
  • No, just hide them. When I read this I kept thinking about the joke about the mean little boy and his parents didn't want to get him anything for xmas. So instead the dad took a dump into a gift box, and wrapped it. When the boy opened it and found a huge turd and starting crying tears of joys... when his dad asked him why he was happy he said "because santa brought me a pony and know I'm gonna find him."
  • he's 9, he's old enough to pick up his own toys and he should know better than to leave them on the floor. if i were you, i would throw them away or donate them to a charity. if you just let him go without any punishment, he will think he can walk all over you. but if he looses the toys, then he realizes that he needs to take care of his things.
  • When my kids do that, I put them in a plastic garbage back and into storgage they go for about 3-4 months. When they finally get them back, it's like a brand new toy for them. The lesson is still taught, but not in quite such a brusque manner. +5
  • I think that your son would see the act of destroying them with your boots an act of agression. I friend of mine, however, did put her son's toys in the garbage to teach him a lesson. This would achieve the same effect without the violent connotation.
  • My parents did this to me and it worked! Just make sure your son sees your boot crush them into little pieces. And get them all no matter how "cute" they may be. Then put the remains in the trash. After my parents did this to me I had a new healthy respect for my mom's cowboy boots and keeping things neat.
  • That punishment seems kind of abusive. You will only teach him that it's OK to destroy others' property when you're angry. A better punishment would be to follow your original threat and deprive him of the toys for a period of time.
  • Well, if you have already "threatened" him FOUR times that they will go away then he knows you are bluffing and will use it to his fullest advantage. "Mean what you say and say what you mean".
  • Crushing them is like a deceleration of war to him just take away the toys for a period of time.
  • I can understand your frustration, but crushing the toys will only work to a point: The boy will only understand punishment. There is something to be said for throwing in reward for his co-operation. My opinion?: Find a secure place where you can lock them up. If he will not pick them up, take ONE toy and "store" it for him. Continued lack of co-operation on his part will eventually leave him with no toys. If he co-operates, you can begin to reward him with the release of the toys, again, one at a time.
  • No... They cost money, remember that. However, since he is obviously not listening about putting them away, putting them in a box in a closet and telling him that they went away for good, as you warned him you might be in order. (Make the implication that you tossed them.) After a couple of days, you can "find" them, and say you thought you'd tossed that box, but apparently didn't. If he promises, and does, put them away, he can play with them again, with the understanding that they may "go away for good", again, and NOT be brought back. If THAT happens, box them up, load him and them in the car, and take them to Goodwill or a children's shelter, and leave them there. (Take HIM home, of course.)
  • Nope, just pick up anything that is left on the floor and put them in the trunk to go to Goodwill the next time you're in that vicinity. Any replacements have to be paid for by him, not you. He'll get the message. By the way, four times is three times too many. Do it the first time you say it.
  • lol, no. maybe you should take them away and teach him a lesson. You said you'd take them away...so do it. Good luck!
  • My son is 8...last year he did not want to pick up his toys. So I got sick of it. Put every single one of his toys in a bag and stuck them downstairs for him to play with. I told him every toy that makes its way upstairs will be thrown. I've gotten rid of two of his toys....(actually I just put them in the bottom of the toy box, he'll forget about them)
  • No she isn't right and if you do it you will be the bad guy, not her. Talk to your son and tell him if he leaves his toys out you will take them away for a week. And then do it. Repeatedly telling him without following through just teaches him to ignore you.
  • We had what we called a 'Saturday box" when my son left things lying around he knew that if by the end of the day he had not put them away they would go into the box and there they would stay until the following Saturday. Breaking his things really won't teach him anything as you just waste money since you bought them in the first place and will probably buy more for him in the future. My son soon learned to clean things away and even ask sometimes if he could leave something set up for the next day.
  • Never speak idle threats. The boy knows you are not going to do what you say you will, so why would he do what you want? REMOVE THE TOYS from the floor and put them where he can't access them. Give them back in a month. If they are scattered on the floor again, tell him they will be gone for good--and then THROW THEM AWAY if he doesn't comply.
  • So, you want to teach your son it's okay to be destructive when you are mad? Breaking his things is immature and stupid. Put the toys in a box and remove them if he doesn't pick them up. In a few days or a week sit down and ask him if he wants them back. Explain they will only be returned if he takes care of them. If he doesn't and you don't believe in second chances have him donate the toys he won't take care of to Goodwill where some child who will care for them can enjoy them.

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