Sharing with your kids?

[Doctor_ocks]

So here's something I've wondered for a while. Do you AFOL parents share your Lego with your kids or do you have "yours" and "mine" collections?

My six year old is just as nuts about Lego as I am and he's loves LoTR and Star Wars as much as I do. This has proven very helpful in persuading my wife that we NEED certain sets. We don't distinguish between his sets and my sets they're all just "our" sets - including mommy, if she were so inclined :D

Basically, we have bins categorized of loose Lego and minifigs in his room that his cousins and friends can all play with. I also built shelves in his room where all the sets we want to keep together can go. He can play with any sets at any time, including the rarer more expansive sets, but this really only works because he likes to play with these sets as is and doesn't want to break them apart - we have all those loose bricks for doing that. This also works because he likes having these sets on display. His friends and cousins are also allowed to play with these sets too, but I ask them to "try" to keep them together and only allow those sets to be played with in certain areas of the house because inevitably some small piece will pop off and I want to have a small area to search.

So I'm curious how you other AFOL parents handle this. Do you have certain things that can't be touched by your kids? Do you keep seperate collections?

[Drachmyre]

They have theirs and I have mine. They can play with most of mine... One set only at a time. We also have a ton of bricks I sort and then they un-sort.

[tomdobs55]

They have theirs and I have mine. They can play with most of mine... One set only at a time. We also have a ton of bricks I sort and then they un-sort.

Oh the sorting and unsorting all my boys do is in sort what I've sorted. But hey they're kids and they do love building...well my 3 year old still just tries to eat them...

[TheLegoDr]

My daughter has her own collection plus she grabs certain pieces of mine for her collection. She unsorts everything to do she can build random scenes and buildings. Plus she likes to play with the haunted house and modular buildings. The only thing I keep separate from her are certain minifigures or MOCs I don't want destroyed right away. Otherwise everything is free game. She loves the rancor figure and the cave troll. They seem to hang out just fine with the friends and cmfs.

[Legoman of War]

They have theirs and I have mine. They can play with most of mine... One set only at a time. We also have a ton of bricks I sort and then they un-sort.

I'm in the same boat. I have mine but don't do much building as I am always doing other things (football, baseball, cub scouts) but when I do get to do anything with bricks it is usually sorting and helping my boys build.One day I will be able to do more of what I want but right now, it's for them.

LMW

Edited November 20, 2013 by Legoman of War

[ronenson]

We mix usage. They know they can't disassemble any of my MOCs or other sets I value. Other than that, they can play with them.

[Kivi]

They have theirs and I have mine.

It's the same with us. Yet, as long as they handle them properly, they can play with my creations (modulars and trains especially) and some loose parts (namely 2x2 and larger bricks) that I don't currently use.

[naf]

We've run into this in my family. My kid's got me out of my dark age, but they're still a little too young to be trusted with my vintage Lego. We've bought them a few new sets to build with, and although they generally do a good job they are still prone to chewing on pieces or damaging bricks by using things other than brick separators to pull things apart (we've now gone through brick separator training with them ) Once they are older, I would feel fine with them playing with my collection, as long as they keep it separate from theirs (don't want to mix my 80's bricks with the newer stuff), and they can prove they won't destroy bricks.

[WaysofSorting]

My daughter just turned two. She likes the Rancor to hang out with her Friends as well!

When it was apparent that she liked to play with them, and could manipulate them without eating them I was surprised at my own reaction.

All of a sudden, this collection I'd been guarding for so many years became wide open. She can do whatever she wants. I have my buildings and vehicles, but if she wants to play in them she can. She has a couple environments that are home to "her" people - but I'm not picky as to what she uses or doesn't use. I won't deny her Fabuland because it's vintage. It's all hers, if she'll have it. (To that effect she has her grandmother's dollhouse, and all my and her uncle's old star wars figures to boot. She's got it made, toywise).

A highlight that will forever be in my memory was seeing her grab one of my old space-fighter creations, promptly trade the Space-Police Pilot for one of the Friends, drop the wings into attack position, and run around the house making swoosh noises.