Perils of childcare!

Well done Katek or as my DGC say to me , well done Nana. After they've gone home, I tidy the dolls house, put the little family and pets to bed, put their car away and tidy their garden. Maybe have lost the plot, or delaying real housework.

I have a gorgeous video of my DGD (2 yrs at the time) playing with her little wooden cooker. She carefully puts everything away when she's finished with it - everything in its place!

I once closed ds' bedroom window so his teddy wasn't in a draught........

I spent a whole afternoon washing and irong dolls clothes and dressing the poor wee things as 2 GD's had stripped them all naked and left them on the floor .12 dolls between them ...who needs 12 dolls ? Thing is I might be guilty of buying a few of them for the cute outfits and the lovely curls ..lol

When Loombands were the fashion, a couple of years ago, I spent hours and hours sorting them into different compartments by colour, sparkle or stripe. Was so pleased with the result. Two days later DGS had knocked the box off the table and the whole lot were mixed up. Needless to say, he didn't ask me to sort them again and I didn't offer!

My mother could knot a fine pair of doll's knickers! She also knitted the children's favourite teddies jumpers and trousers - still kitted out today. When we chose our children's teddies ...well, I say they chose us. My thinking is, you look a bear in the eye and of he looks right back at yer, he is the one! (Yes, plot definitely caught the bus and left town).

I bought a lovely doll for my granddaughter and was going to make some clothes for her before I gave it to her so put her in the spare bed with a teddy bear who is there all the time now I don't want to give it to her because teddy will be on his own again. I think I've lost the plot

Just laughed out loud in a restaurant reading these

We consigned all thirteen of GS’s Action Men to the loft the week before last, but they all had to be attired and equipped correctly before they were shut away. I even managed to find the steering wheel for the Land Rover. I couldn’t find the polar explorer’s laser vision husky dog, so he had to haul his own sledge up the loft ladder, but Fido has now turned up! I think I had more fun with them than GS ever did! I say again, we need a ‘whistful sigh’ emoticon.

Every time they leave I put all the knickers back on the Barbies, dress them in their 'best' clothes and brush their hair. No hope .

I chuck everything into a big plastic box and slide under bottom bunk bed.

Job done!

I’ve bought two new boxes, with elephants, tigers and bears on them. One box is for cars and other wheeled toys, the other for various musical or other toys. I have a plastic container for duplo, box for paints another for crayons. The children left earlier. All the toys were jumbled into the first available box, pushed into the cupboard, with the door firmly closed to stop them all tumbling out. I always yearned to be one of those mothers who did the jigsaws before putting them away and had a tidy toy cupboard. Still failing

For years the baby Jesus was missing from the nativity set and was replaced with a lego man until we moved house and there was the original under a cupboard, will never forget my husbands face when I shrieked 'I've found Jesus' while kneeling face down on the floor!

Menopaws ? love that.

I have to resort the toys after DSIL tidies up when they are about to leave. He's a lovely man but just doesn't 'get' it.

My most hated job is when they have taken all 8 babuskas apart. There is always a top or bottom without its other bit! There is also, usually, a very tiny babuska left and it's usually from one of the ones with lots and lots to open rather than only 4 or 5!

We have bought them all Mousetrap - to have at their houses- and given ours to Barnardos. Sorting that out was the giddy limit!

Meno 1grin]

Menopaws - I have just read that out to DH and w are both sitting here with tears streaming down our faces. Best laugh for weeks! Just put my makeup on to go out so will have to redo it. Lovely start to the day - now to tackle the ruddy supermarket.

Menopaws. I've just read your post to DH. Like Minnie's Mum we both thought it was hilarious. Thankyou for brightening our day.

when my son (now 43) was little his favourite soft toy was a seal - I must have washed it one day (don't remember that bit) and put it in the tumble drier with a muslin over its eyes. I had a friend round who looked at me as though I was mad......I explained it was to protect the glass eyes not to stop the seal seeing what was going on.

Ahhh used to do all those bits when my gd was little.
Even when I tidied up the doors house used to have a sneaky play myself. The plastic fruit and veg and the little shopping trolley and basket.
Miss all that. I once put teddy soft in the washing machine ohno he went all scruffy she was really upset.
Still sits in her bed and she's now 17.

I've already lost the plot, every night I have to take the show pillows off the bed and place them on the footstool with Bear and companions on top with a throw as a cover. If DH goes to bed before me he just bungs them any old how and I am driven to make them comfortable. I must admit that I didn't give up playing with dolls until I was 14. Still have a soft spot for them though. Youngest granddauughter (21 months) is following in my footsteps. Yay.

Dear Firecracker 123, can't you find a poor lonely dolly or teddy in a charity shop to keep teddy company when dolly goes home with your GD? That's what I'd do.

I have a family of dolls, some from my childhood, two from my mother's, one of my sister's and I have just got them all into their winter clothes, 17 girls from toddler pre-teens, one baby girl and two little boys.

I've loved most of them all my life (one or two are new additions) why should I stop now, when I finally have time to play with them again?

Then there are the teddies, mine and DHs and an Indian married couple (doll saris are so much easier to sew than dresses!)

should have been from toddler to pre-teens

Ha ha ! loved that, Menopaws .....reminds me of when my daughter was small and the Vicar came round after we had all been out carol singing, and my daughter got up and came downstairs to share the cocoa and biscuits ....the Nativity scene in the empty fireplace was all up and looking good but the Vicar notice Jesus was missing ...he asked her where Jesus had gone, and without batting an eyelid she said 'He's gone up the pub !' ......talk about wanting to fade away !!!! The Vicar laughed ....