Visit from my colleague and spoiled granddaughter wanted to play with my ponys!

[Jorgito93]

It seems what i said created a little debate, so i'll precise what i think.I'm not saying we should give a Rapunzel to the first child that enters our room.I'm just saying that i think that if you know the child and know she is careful, completely forbid her to touch any ponies (even the ones that aren't even slightly rare) will do more bad than good.But when i let children play with my ponies i always watch them to prevent anything going wrong.

[dIGITS]

It seems what i said created a little debate, so i'll precise what i think.I'm not saying we should give a Rapunzel to the first child that enters our room.I'm just saying that i think that if you know the child and know she is careful, completely forbid her to touch any ponies (even the ones that aren't even slightly rare) will do more bad than good.But when i let children play with my ponies i always watch them to prevent anything going wrong.

I always keep a few Playable toys in my room. For me, it's blythe dolls- there are definitely 75% that NO CHILD could touch- but I have 2 or 3 dolls that they can mess up the hair, scratch the face--- I mean, I tell them to play nice, but they are reserved for play. So far, they are still in display condition

[FantasticFirefly]

Ponies are indeed easy to damage from good, excellent and especially from NM/Mint. Hand oils even stain and yellow plastics! and can add "pindot" dirt (pretty much it's grunge getting into a pored surface). sitting on something with pigment can stain quickly, hair can frizz quickly. having to regroom/restyle ponies multiple times (even using the gentlest methods) to get them display ready again damages them a teeny bit each time. Since my collection stuff was purchased as "art pieces" and in a condition harder to find for toys of that age (from original owners that seemed to have never brushed/touched them) I treat them as such- how often does one experience a fresh new ponies (brings me back to the moment I got to open some of my originals as a kid and how they looked). and while g1 ponies won't necessarily crumble under a childs touch they are 20+ year old degrading PVC toys. DO indeed leech out nasties (plasticizers, and contain lead/cadmium). I am not a meanie for treating my things this way.

So, considering all of that, and distinctly remembering how I felt as a child (and I was a gentle kid. and mostly "arranged" things repeatedly) why stress yourself or a kid.

 I was highly uncomfortable and opted out of doing anything that involved an adult looming over me anxious and watching that I didn't damage something of theirs or hurt myself. (think about it- it really wouldn't be fun to "play" like that now would it?) The toybox I do have handy to occupy friend's kids- pretty much go wild within reason (like no throwing them at people, or lighting them on fire, or using the crayons to scribble on the wall or couch) but if playing involves smacking two toys together repeatedly- sure. have fun. oh the windshield got cracked on the hot wheel? ok. guess I know what I'm getting at the thrift next time some kids are gentle, some are not and not because they're "brats" some kids don't have well developed fine motor skills. And the kids who DO behave like brats shouldn't be hated. "everything is mine if I want it" kids are still innocent. They learned from the people raising them and setting the rules at home- so direct the anger at the source.

It's deemed "acceptable" because children are still learning. They do not have experience nor a fully developed brain. Of course responsible parents teach their kids to respect boundaries, but the above still applies. Do I think kids should get a free pass for behaving badly? Well, no, but when they do I still place the responsibility on the adults they are with. Kids need guidance to understand that they should know better.

To people who say they hate kids, all kids? Don't you remember how it felt to be a kid when people said this? There are badly behaved kids and wonderful kids. A whole group never deserves to be written off.

.

SO MUCH YES! <3

[QueenGusty]

It's deemed "acceptable" because children are still learning. They do not have experience nor a fully developed brain. Of course responsible parents teach their kids to respect boundaries, but the above still applies. Do I think kids should get a free pass for behaving badly? Well, no, but when they do I still place the responsibility on the adults they are with. Kids need guidance to understand that they should know better.

To people who say they hate kids, all kids? Don't you remember how it felt to be a kid when people said this? There are badly behaved kids and wonderful kids. A whole group never deserves to be written off.

In the end we are collecting toys made for children. Not even high end art toys, but actual toys made for kids. I've had actual kids play with my childhood ponies and they came back fine.

I am not saying it's not ok to say kids can't play with your ponies. Your stuff, your rules. Heck, I have a Cutesaurus and probably wouldn't just hand it to a five year old. It's really just the writing off of children in this thread that bugs me.

I agree that a lot of it is to do with modern parenting. And I'm sorry but a lot of posts in this thread exemplify this shift in attitude from when we were kids perhaps. when i was a kid, you would never have dared go into someone's house and play with things and touch things without the person's permission. And if someone offered you something as a gift, even if it wasn't quite what you wanted as OP did, you would have said thank you and moved on. Because you were taught RESPECT and MANNERS which a LOT of children do not seem to have nowadays. I refuse to let my possessions pay the price for other people's bad parenting so yes, no children allowed in my bedroom as far as I'm concerned. I have however, given my nieces duplicate blind bags and even duplicate mini Funkos when they've come to the house. that's a win-wn situation ;D

Carrie

[TornadoTwist]

Even if they are toys it's up to the owner of the house for the rules in terms of touching/playing with them. All my ponies are in a class cabinet and I think that already says enough when a child enters. Not that I have any idea when a child would enter my room because there are no little children in my family. I have three cousins who went to my room once and they were kinda hyperactive but they left my collection alone, they only looked at it. :3

[Aflame]

kids:can we see your ponies ?
me :yes but you look with your eye not your hands !
kids:can we play with them
me:NO NO NO !!!!!!here have a fakie

[Skeen]

When my niece was younger and wanted to see my ponies, we came up with a very easy to remember rhyme so she could tell what was and was not to be played with:

Pony on the shelf, hands to yourself.  Pony on the ground, party on down!

I made sure to keep a few doubles and baits on the floor for her so she'd always have a "pony on the ground" to play with. 

[Galactica]

Skeen I have a similar approach.

My nieces and nephew visit- and I really love them, and while they have recently improved their manners, they are sometimes a little out of control.  I keep my collections in LOCKED glass cabinets.  They can LOOK to their heart's content.  But no touchy.

We have a kid's room that has a couple boxes of toys in it  (ponies and strawberry shortcake stuff) - and some other things. They understand what is available for play and what is available to look at.

OP I think the trick is to NEVER COMPROMISE. NEVER let them lay hands on your special things because then they think that everything is fair game...

[Leave a Whisper]

When my niece was younger and wanted to see my ponies, we came up with a very easy to remember rhyme so she could tell what was and was not to be played with:

Pony on the shelf, hands to yourself.  Pony on the ground, party on down!

I made sure to keep a few doubles and baits on the floor for her so she'd always have a "pony on the ground" to play with.

That's great!

[Skeen]

When my niece was younger and wanted to see my ponies, we came up with a very easy to remember rhyme so she could tell what was and was not to be played with:

Pony on the shelf, hands to yourself.  Pony on the ground, party on down!

I made sure to keep a few doubles and baits on the floor for her so she'd always have a "pony on the ground" to play with.

That's great!

  She would come into the room and look at the shelves and inform me, and anyone else in the room, that the shelves were off-limits. 

Niece: ::points to sea ponies::  Do not touch. 
::points to birthflowers:  No play. 
::points to So softs::  No-no. 
::indicates wall of shelving::  Not for touch.
::dives into pile of ponies on the floor:: My friends!!!!!

[Leave a Whisper]

When my niece was younger and wanted to see my ponies, we came up with a very easy to remember rhyme so she could tell what was and was not to be played with:

Pony on the shelf, hands to yourself.  Pony on the ground, party on down!

I made sure to keep a few doubles and baits on the floor for her so she'd always have a "pony on the ground" to play with.

That's great!

  She would come into the room and look at the shelves and inform me, and anyone else in the room, that the shelves were off-limits. 

Niece: ::points to sea ponies::  Do not touch. 
::points to birthflowers:  No play. 
::points to So softs::  No-no. 
::indicates wall of shelving::  Not for touch.
::dives into pile of ponies on the floor:: My friends!!!!!

Aww, that's cute.   Way to go neice!

[Majesty]

I think we all share the same fear of children touching our collections, mainly ruining them.  I'm sorry you had that experience.  Kids don't understand about having toys you don't play with or kids aren't allowed to touch.  I don't want kids either.  I'm an animal lover, I've had my cat for 12 years and I love him as if I would love my child but I didn't actually give birth to him I know that.  But, he is also like a kid where he wants to play with stuff he's not allowed to touch.  He is constantly after my ponies and I had to actually block him from getting at my ponies by putting a baby gate across an area where he would get to them but now he can't.  Well, it's a baby gate for pets since it has paws on it but it's the same concept.

My niece rarely visits with her Dad.  She's 10 now but even though she knows I collect ponies and she can't play with them she still asks sometimes if she can play with them.  I nearly panicked, because the time before last time she came my brother's girlfriend and her 3 year old son came over and he played in my niece's bedroom and came into my room when I wasn't in it and some of my babies ponies were missing, along wiht some things being moved around.  I found him with my ponies and nearly freaked but had to remind myself he was three and doesn't understand.  I kindly told him that "I'm sorry you can't play with these, they're just for displaying".  I know he doesn't understand displaying but I could've also said sitting on the shelf and looking at but it probably wouldn't have made sense to him either.

I that time when my brother's girlfriend's son was here I was kind enough to give in and let my niece play with my Dream Castle and a few ponies.  I was on edge the entire time watching her play.  Only a few ponies was never enough either.  I'd leave and come back and more ponies would be taken off my shelf.

My niece is spoiled too.  She's growing up more and she's becoming slightly more mature in some ways but not in others.  She pretty much does what she wants when she wants to do it.  You tell her she can't do that and she goes and does it anyway when she thinks you're not looking.  I don't think she looks at me as an adult either.  I'm 32 but look like I'm in my mid to late teens.

I don't want kids either and my reasons are mostly selfish but also for the sake of a potential child, such as being woken up several times a night for feedings or changing diapers. I get cranky if I don't get a full night's sleep and my cat usually keeps me awake most nights to lay next to me when I'm in the perfect sleeping position.  I wouldn't want to be a cranky Mom.  I can't stand tantrums and kids who are spoiled brats because they're parents just can't say no, no matter what it costs to other people.

Also, as most of us I get defensive about my ponies and pretty much everything in my room. 

We're in the process of moving, but we've recently showed our house to tons of people, through appointments and a couple of open houses.  We had to be out of the house during those times while the realtor showed the house.  In the back of my mind I worried that the strangers who entered out house had kids and they let their kids go at my pony stuff to keep them busy while the parents looked at the house.  Or, someone would try to sneak away with one my ponies, putting it in their pocket or something.  Luckily that didn't happen. 

[FarDreamer]

If I had Kids they wouldn´t be able to play with my Collection.

It´s harder to put up rules for other peoples kids but in my home my rules.

They sure as heck wouldn't be touching my G1's, thank you very much.

[starrypawz]

How terrible. Kids need boundaries and "do not touch" means do not touch" not "go ahead and play with it." It seems like a lot of parents don't teach their kids to respect other people's belongings or things.


This story reminds me of when I was growing up we had some people over and I was trying to play with the older girl and the younger girl at the same time. The younger one broke the leg off of one of my Ariel dolls (I only had two Ariels) because she pulled her leg out of the socket. I told my parents and her mom about the younger girl breaking my doll (I was usually very careful with my toys so it was big deal to me that my doll was broken.) Her mom said she was sorry but didn't even offer to replace my Ariel or at least pay for me to get another doll. My dad tried to fix her but my doll couldn't sit down anymore. I was young but I think it was at the age where you should/would know not to take other people's stuff.


Ponyfan

Oh this reminds me of something that happened to me in school. I had this toy horse, can't remember the brand it wasn't MLP but some sort of hard plastic blue pony with moveable legs. I can't quite remember how it happened but short version a boy in my class got a hole of it and pulled it around enough to break one of the legs off and I can't remember if he got in trouble for it or something but I was not happy.

[Roseprincess1]

I dunno about this but here goes...
Personally... I love kids. I baby sit for the neighbor's little girl Miss Ellie and she is fine and dandy.
She's usually too awestruck by my collection to actually wanna play and mostly is just like @@.
She is totally a sweet child and if she asked i would let her see them because I know she is very gentle
and respectful.
I've even let the lil booger borrow my EAH and Star Darling books. (Her mom was over the moon over this cus the lil monster wasnt much of a reader until i handed her something she liked.. Hehe she is now eyeballing my star wars books while i grin evily as i get another EU convert!) And she took very good care of them.. not a scratch or a stain any where.
So i know kids can be trusted with collections if they are raised right by their parents. I've known miss ellies father since i was a kid and he is a great guy, so i know she has had the best of raising.
then there were my sisters DEMON spawn.
Back in 2010..my sister got kicked out of her apparment in daytona florida. My mom was still alive at that point as as with always... she gave into my sister.
Next thing i know... my sister, her husband, and their monsters are sleeping on the living room floor( at this point its still my parents house.. But i had moved back home after my dad's open heart and when her cancer started coming back to help out).
Now at the time i had not started collecting ponies yet.. but i did still collect transformers.. and had left my knock off leo breaker on MY desk down stairs.  Mom snatched him up off the desk and the next thing i know my poor leo is in about 200 pieces on the floor.
Then a few days later(it was near christmas) the kids got into their christmas presents early.. and got into mine as well.. Why mom left them down stairs i will never know... but i come around the corner and they are into theirs already and the powerglide i had asked for was again.. all over the floor in about 200 bits.
The next day my brother in law got mad at me and proceeded to inform his and my sisters children that their "Greedy" aunt had a whole toy collection up stairs  just for the taking.
I put my foot down and informed my mom.. either you put a lock on my loft this instant.. or you and dad can fend for your selves with these yahoos.
I was never able to repair my poor leobreaker but was able to save my power glide.
And all the while that vile man my sister shared her life with would use the Excuse "But Rose they ARE TOYS.. they ARE made to be played with".
Maybe they are... but these children were violently destructive.
and their idea of "Play" was "lets see how quickly we can dismantle said thing".
So while i am all for gentle kids enjoying my collections with me.. there have to be limits.
Saying something is "a toy" and is "made to be played with" are often excuses people come up with to allow their demon spawn free issue to destroy what ever suits them.
I think there need to be limits.. and when those l imits are passed there need to be reactions other wise things get out of hand and people get hurt.