choking hazard concerns for those with babes and older children

[samstress]

just realizing that our 4-year-old dd has many toys with rather small pieces (e.g. some of her lego, some of her playmobil, some of her craft supplies, etc). 

short of relegating all of her tiny-sized toys to a room that is off limits to ds, what else can i do to make sure that he doesn't get to them?

ds is only 10 weeks old and is a long way from being mobile -- just thinking ahead.

[Stayseeliz]

Honestly I DO relegate them all to a certain room. I have several "big" kids and I don't want the stress. DD3 just became mobile (just rolling) so I don't have to completely ban the toys from the living room yet but I will soon! It's just safer to me that way!

[Marissamom]

or only allow small toys in the areas where baby will be if the older child is supervised and they have to be picked up once she is done

[whozeyermamma]

We put all of DD's smaller things (polly pockets, legos, etc.) in small shoe-box sized plastic boxes with lids. They stay in her room - that way she can pull them down and play with them in her room all over when the door is shut - or take them downstairs and play on the table.

I just put all the craft supplies up in a high cabinet too.

I just can't handle the stress of always worrying about whether he's choking on a barbie shoe or whatnot.

[OkiMom]

Im starting to think about this as well since my oldest has a few toys I don't want the baby getting ahold of and both girls love art supplies. Crayon in baby's mouth isn't something I want either.

Heres what Im thinking of

if baby is awake and in the room small items and art supplies must be up off the ground

if baby is awake and not in the room then small items/art supplies may be on the ground as long as you pick them up when baby comes into the room

small toys/art supplies are banned from my room since baby spends quite a bit of time on the floor in there in the mornings and I don't want something falling where I don't see it but baby does

if baby is asleep then anything can be out with the understanding that when baby wakes up they go back up.

Honestly I don't see a problem with getting the older ones to follow these rules. They both think playing with their brother is a special treat so for now at least just having him to play with is incentive enough to keep things cleaned up.