How to Move a "Parked" Car????

I guess I am confused. Either you are ok with the cars staying parked in their spots all the time, or you are not.

And if you are not ok with the cars staying parked, he needs to learn where to put them. He also needs to learn that the adults in his life may need to move his items. It's great that he is such a helper right now. But tantrums over his things being moved is not ok. He's going to have to learn that he is not in charge. He is simply testing limits and boundaries. Instead of throwing a fit over dinner, he's choosing to throw a fit over parked cars. Two year old get upset...it's just part of being two.

my 2 year old is fine by all developmental standards and he does NOT have or had a penchant for parking or putting toys anywhere and then having a fit. If he did I would kick it across the room and say "hey look it flies" then I would pretend it took a long trip to my "garbage bag" and when he got over the fit in his room, it would miraculously reappear a week later back on his shelf.

this isn't a real question is it? you're afraid of upsetting a 2 yr old by moving his toys?!?!?!
you have a looooooonnnnnnnggggggg road ahead of you. good luck

Kids get upset. They throw fits. It's natural, and in some cases...shouldn't be avoided. If it were my son (and it was him, trust me) I did not appreciate his desire to be demanding and controlling over such things. I simply did what I needed to do with the toys, and if it upset him...so be it. I do not cater to my son's every preference. Especially, when those preferences cause him to act rude and bossy.

I taught my son, that toys CAN and WILL be moved. By me, dad, and whoever else needs to move them. There were some tears, but these things need to be learned. Otherwise, you will find yourself giving into his every little preference. to the detriment of your son.

What exactly is wrong with his cars being parked in the corner? Sounds like they're neat and out of the way, so I don't really see an issue.
(Well, there may be an issue with a two year old telling four adults, including his own parents, what they may and may not do or touch, but I guess that's another post.)

My dd used to do the same thing, only with her dinosaurs.

Her early intervention therapist told me NOT to allow it. To avoid doing something just because it upsets your child gives them too much control, when the parent should be running the household. It can also allow them to develop OCD tendencies, and may eventually get to the point that they can't cope with changes when they HAVE to happen.

It's one thing for them to want their toys organized a certain way, another entirely to freak out when the parent needs to move them.

She told me that you can compromise a bit... In my case, we got a special box that has a special spot on her bookshelf for her dinosaurs.

When I stopped allowing her dinosaurs to stay in their spots, we did have a few tantrums. She got to spend quite a bit of time in her room during that period. BUT, she learned that MOMMY is the boss, not her... And once she realized that her dinosaurs were just fine in their box, she got over it.

If you disagree with the placement of the cars, tell him where the correct place is to put them. It is not for him to tell you where he will allow his toys to be placed. It's your house; if you'd rather have the cars go inside a bin on a shelf or wherever, then that's where he should put them away. If he throws a tantrum, the toys go away for a while until he gets over himself. Your son defers to your leadership, not the other way around, mama! :)

B.:

I'm sorry. I'm confused. Your son is almost 3 years old and you are "afraid" of upsetting him? He's OCD - I'm not sure how to help you on this one. Love that he LOVES to have organization....but the cars aren't organized. So explain to him that they need to be parked in the proper spot or they will be moved.

At almost 3 - he should understand simple explanations and reasoning.

Don't be afraid to upset your son. This is life. It's not perfect, and we get upset. It's not perfect every day. He needs to work with you on where you need things to be as well. It's not all about what HE wants and demands where things are to be.

Good luck!

Most all Toddlers, go through this.
It is a developmental age in which they like to "organize" and learn about "categories" and categorizing their toys. It is all developmental based.
Okay. So.
He has parked cars. Does not want it moved by certain people.
Okay.
Now, he seems to be neat and tidy.
Good.
Now, are his parked cars, in the MIDDLE of the room? Or he has it sequestered off to the side?
TEACH him, that his toys/parking lot of cars, CANNOT be in the middle of the room or in other people's way.
ie: someone could step on it and get hurt, or fall over it, etc.

Next: you can, have him put his parked cars or cars, ON A TRAY. Ya know, those food trays that people eat on. THAT way, he can carry it around and MOVE his "parked" cars. That's what my son does. His toys/stuff/parked cars are MOBILE and he moves it around. Using a tray, on which he puts all his stuff and the "arrangement" of his stuff is not messed up, because it is on a tray, and it can ALL be carried around at the same time.

Next: just move his darn parked cars!
If he gets upset, like most Toddlers do, then oh well! Too bad.
He has to learn that his parking lot is not permanent. And he does not own the room or the rules of the room.
Just tell him, NO.
And besides, he CAN arrange his parked cars again.. and again... and again... and again. Like all Toddlers do.
Even in real life, parked cars... move and go elsewhere.
Just tell him... NO.
And if he has a hissy fit, oh.well.

i think it's lovely that you are appreciative of your little fellow's neatness and conscientiousness, and also sensitive to this one quirk. i don't think it's the end of the world if toddlers have a Thing that they want to keep inviolate, one Thing over which they have control.
of course, that doesn't mean that you need to relinquish parental rights. i think i'd start to work with him gently in this regard. 'your cars can be parked there most of the time, but mommy needs to vacuum now. let's park the cars in under your bed.' and do it calmly, firmly and inexorably.
what i would NOT do is manufacture reasons to move them just to 'teach him a lesson.' i'd allow the parked cars to be parked there, and agree to be hands-off as he wishes, until and unless there's a good reason for them to be moved, or for me to touch them. then i'd explain it to him simply and in a straightforward manner, and deal with any ensuing meltdowns as i would any other meltdown.
don't allow the parking lot to accrue greater importance than it should in your family.
khairete
S.

I don't "get" this question at all.
I'm wondering if the issue is that they NEVER get "put away" like the other stuff or that you're not allowed (?!) to touch them?

Perhaps I am missing something, but I don't see what the problem is. He keeps his toys put away neatly (in the corner, parked) unless he is playing with them. I would be upset if someone moved MY things "just because" and then I had to clean up the mess, too. What is so difficult about understanding that?

If he doesn't want you to move them so you can vacuum the carpet or something, then simply have him move them while you do it. Or tell him you are going to vacuum there so he can put them up on the bed, or whatever, or that you will move them and put them back when you are done.

The end. If he is upset that you moved them and put them back, but didn't put them back EXACTLY like he had them, then he needs to learn to accept that that is part of life and getting things clean. He can rearrange them the way he wants them easily enough, right? But why shouldn't he be upset that you moved his stuff and left it out for no reason? That makes no sense... but seems to be what you are suggesting his grandmother do?

I really don't get the question. Are you asking how to go about moving the cars in a way that won't upset him? The "tell" is that anyone but you, daddy, g-ma and g-pa, can move them. What that tells me is that he is exerting 2 year old control over the adults in his life and that they are allowing that to happen.

If the deal is that the cars need to be moved to clean, then simply tell him that he must move the cars for cleaning. Tell him once only. If he doesn't do it, then go in, pick them up, put them on his bed and do your cleaning. Then he can come put them back if that's what he wants.

No way would I expend this much energy trying to figure out how to move some stupid cars!

I'm not sure I understand the problem either. I definitely get that kids that age like their stuff to be just right, and generally only they can make them just right. My 2 year old insists on getting his stuffed animals out of his bed and putting them in the chair each morning, then only he can put them back into bed at night. In this case, if you need to move the cars to clean or something just do it when he's occupied with something else. Or tell him to move them so you can clean and make it a learning experience. If you just don't want him to be so strict with who can touch his toys then maybe swap them out for something else? I try to cycle through my sons toys every few months. He'll wake up and some will be gone and replaced by other "new" toys he hasn't seen in awhile. I think you are overthinking this one, I wouldn't worry that he likes his cars parked exactly right. I'm pretty jealous, my son's cars are parked all over the room at the moment.

FB - I love your questions and answers, and always look for your name, but this has me confused. I don't understand your question. You want to force the parked vehicles to be moved...just because?

I'm sure I'm missing something b/c this just doesn't sound like you at all.

Sounds like a neat 2.5 year old. My son did things like that.....he also decided at 3.5 that putting things away was boring! (he still sometimes can't help himself and he will say, "but mom, we haven't put X away," but his super anal tendencies have gone away with the arrival of the super independent middle finger of the 3 year old age.

Leave him be. My 18y/o (who just got accepted at WSU, Go Cougs!) was exactly like this...to a T. His shoes had to be lined straight as well & books all proper on book shelf...he is wicked smart (just like his Daddy!) and has a very organized yet busy brain!!

Really?My daughter is 2 and she has all her dolly's lined up.So i put them away and told her she needs to put it in there.She was not upset.

I'd worry too. Kids this age don't normally obsess about their toys like this.