Decapitated Playmobil. One of those Boy Things that wrenches a mama's heart.

[Colleen]

I'm a boy mom at heart, really and truly. I was the girl who couldn't stand to miss an episode of "Adam-12" or "Emergency". I was outside more often than not. I enjoyed girl things, but I didn't do frilly, or pink, or Barbie. I'm designed to mother boys.

 

But.

 

Sometimes we mothers of boys just...can't identify. I mean, I can overlook the bazillion Playmobil swords and guns and knives and cannons that accompany pirate and Roman sets. But can't we set up the Playmobil tent and pretend the family's camping ~ and not have the motorcyclist terrorize the campground? Can't we get everything all nicely arranged in the A-frame house and just keep it that way? Can't we PLEASE refrain, dear older sons, from intentionally decapitating a soldier, touching it up with red nail polish, and encouraging the younger guys to follow in your masochistic ways?:ack2:

 

There is just something...unsettling about nurturing wee ones and cuddling with them on the couch with good books and then...watching them giggle about "bloody" headless people. Ahem!

[kaylk in tx]

one of my boys has an aversion to seeing them with hair on for some reason so you can look down into their little empty craniums... luckily no one has actually ripped their heads off yet (unless you count the dogs chewing some up) aren't boys fun? :lol:

[Colleen]

luckily no one has actually ripped their heads off yet

 

It's a procedure best performed with a Swiss army knife, apparently. Ahem. Again.;)

[kaylk in tx]

:cheers2:

[Mrs Mungo]

I completely understand.

 

My middle daughter loved boy toys when she was little. We had TONS of Thomas trains. However, she played with them as if they were little people. They had relationships and conversations.

 

When my son inherited them they no longer talked or had relationships. They crashed, ran off the track, the bridge malfunctioned, sending trains flying and buildings toppled onto the poor train cars.

 

Last week I was asking him to make sentences out of his spelling words. Every one of them involved a crash or injury of some kind.

[abbeyej]

... intentionally decapitating a soldier, touching it up with red nail polish...

 

Roflol! That's *excellent*. ;)

 

(Now I'm wondering if it would be worth buying some red nail polish to use on one of the princesses' feet so she can be one of Cinderella's evil step sisters...)

[battlemaiden]

I completely understand.

 

My middle daughter loved boy toys when she was little. We had TONS of Thomas trains. However, she played with them as if they were little people. They had relationships and conversations.

 

When my son inherited them they no longer talked or had relationships. They crashed, ran off the track, the bridge malfunctioned, sending trains flying and buildings toppled onto the poor train cars.

 

Last week I was asking him to make sentences out of his spelling words. Every one of them involved a crash or injury of some kind.

 

I recently heard a speaker who said she would have been hauled off by CPS if they had ever uncovered the spelling lists she created for one of her sons. She made entire lists of words like "murder" and "shooting" and other crime related verbage. :D I thought it was brilliant.

 

Jo

[Colleen]

See, if my one of my guys is playing on his own, the set-up may very well be palatable. A pastoral farmyard scene. A visit to the zoo. I was so convinced of my oldest son's pure thoughts when he was a tot, playing on his own. More recently, when caring for his 3 year old brother, they enjoyed some time painting together...painting an "army guy" carrying an assault weapon on the interior of the tree house, that is....:tongue_smilie:

[Wendi]

He uses red Magic Marker to put "blood" on the tips of swords and the knights when they have battles.

 

Sigh.

 

Wendi

[elegantlion]

I was a tomboy as well. Hot wheels, etc for me. None of that barbie stuff. So I love having a boy, yet the recent habit of throwing Star Wars characters ,albeit bad guys, in the air and watching them break into pieces on the slab floor is a tad disturbing.

 

We just finished a Civil War study and he's already asking when we are going to hit WWI. :confused:

 

I had to mention at least a thousand times while reading about the Civil War that automatic weapons were not a part of that period and he needed to stop making the machine gun fire.

[nmoira]

 

Can't we PLEASE refrain, dear older sons, from intentionally decapitating a soldier, touching it up with red nail polish, and encouraging the younger guys to follow in your masochistic ways?

My two girls act out scenes from History, and the 3yo does similar things, but using red marker. It's all a big bloody gigglefest.

[Rhesa]

Oh, I love this thread! I grew up with two sisters, so I was not prepared for "boy play".

 

A vast majority of my ds's drawings involve blood.

 

When he was a little older than two, my chubby, lisping toddler ran outside playing, "Kill the bad guys! Kill the bad guys! Kill them all!"

 

Meanwhile, I watch my daughter play with his soldier guys- they are all mommies and daddies and babies:D

[Kate CA]

Deep down in your heart of hearts (as Alison Weir was so fond of saying) I know you really just want to borrow one of my daughters. :D Nevermind about having another and wanting a girl--to borrow is so much easier and does not involve labor of any kind. :tongue_smilie:

[PrairieAir]

Can't we PLEASE refrain, dear older sons, from intentionally decapitating a soldier, touching it up with red nail polish, and encouraging the younger guys to follow in your masochistic ways?

 

 

Oh, I know. I love being a mother to boys, and in some ways they are easier than girls. There are so many "boy" things I like better than "girl" things.

 

However, it made me want to cry just about every time I saw a mutilated toy soldier with red Sharpie blood. I may have gone a bit overboard in expressing my dismay and sorrow, however. The lecture was not unlike the one about how calling someone retarded and making certain gestures mocks those who really do have a handicap rather than just the person the comment is directed toward. "War is real. Real men and women put their lives on the line to protect our country or to help others. Some of them die or are horribly wounded. Please respect them by not mocking the reality of war in your play." Or something like that, said with trembling voice and eyes brimming with tears, of course. Dh walked by during the lecture and just kept right on walking. I think he was trying not to laugh at me for taking it so seriously. He finally told me I had lost it when I suggested a proper burial for the little green army men.

 

I love boys, but there are some things I'm afraid I'll just never understand.

[Amy in Orlando]

LOL Colleen - I know your pain. Come here next December and see what boys can do with cut out cookies and some red food paste.

[Sasharowan]

I was the girl who used a roll of medical tape (the sticky white kind) to mummify Barbie. My boys play Power Rangers with all the sound effects etc. Whenever my dd joins them, all I hear are cries of "Power Rangers don't cook" and "Power Rangers don't ..." Fill in the blank. The boys are highly offended that she wants to make Power Rangers Mommies, Daddies, or even have conversations.

[Jean in Newcastle]

My dd6 complains that she never gets to play the way she wants to - even if her brother condescends to "play house" with her, he is a military husband who is (very briefly) home before heading off to war! All of his sentences for grammar study are related to torpedos, missiles etc.

[lovemyboys]

I'm a boy mom at heart, really and truly. I was the girl who couldn't stand to miss an episode of "Adam-12" or "Emergency". I was outside more often than not. I enjoyed girl things, but I didn't do frilly, or pink, or Barbie. I'm designed to mother boys.

 

at least it's a break from the potty humor and interesting body noises we've discovered recently!!

 

 

"1-Adam-12...." loved those shows -- reruns of Star Trek, High Chapparall, Zorro, the Lone Ranger.

[Unicorn.]

My girls are just as bad. I have, on several occasions, found barbie decapitated. And poor Ken, well, lets just say, he went away in body BAGS. I feel sorry for the men they will marry someday!

 

They all love to watch CSI. OH, and Halloween, forget sweet princess' and butterflies, and anything remotely girly. Nope, my dd's (and ds) want blood, gore, zombies, vampires, the grimm reaper, etc.

 

Feel better?

[angela in ohio]

ROFL! My 5 yo ds takes dd's "How to Draw Wildlife" books, draws rather remarkable animals, and then draws guns and arrows and blood to accompany the scene. We joke about him always using up the entire red crayon from the box. :D We bought him a "How to Draw Knights" book, but they are all headless and bloody when he draws them, too.

[Stacia]

"How to Draw Wildlife"

 

I guess it's because it's this particular thread, but I just read this as "How to Draw "Wildfire". LOL. I think it's time to sleep.

 

My ds hasn't thought of using the red sharpie or nail polish (yet), though when dd was playing Queen Elizabeth I w/ Playmobil, he had the knights busily invading the dollhouse & attacking. She was not amused.

 

Thanks for the laughs. This has been a hilarious thread.

[Colleen]

...I'm willing to borrow and yours definitely qualify.:)

[Colleen]

nt

[Kate CA]

...I'm willing to borrow and yours definitely qualify.:)

 

Aw. :) And I think I made a mistake with A. Weir. It might have been a different author! LOL Did you get my emails? Just makin' sure. :)

[Colleen]

I may have gone a bit overboard in expressing my dismay and sorrow, however. The lecture was not unlike the one about how calling someone retarded and making certain gestures mocks those who really do have a handicap rather than just the person the comment is directed toward. "War is real. Real men and women put their lives on the line to protect our country or to help others. Some of them die or are horribly wounded. Please respect them by not mocking the reality of war in your play." Or something like that, said with trembling voice and eyes brimming with tears, of course.

 

For the most part, it rolls past me but something (okay, hormones) about this particular decapitation put me over the edge last night. It just felt so...disturbing. And then when Hans came home and I told him about it, that vacuous look I received in response (after all, he has four younger brothers himself!) reminded me to:chillpill:.

[Sandra314]

Mine are still in the "crashing trains period", no bloody messes yet.

[KarenNC]

I had to mention at least a thousand times while reading about the Civil War that automatic weapons were not a part of that period and he needed to stop making the machine gun fire.

 

He might find the history of the Gatling gun interesting, though it only had very limited use during the Civil War

http://www.bwefirearms.com/history.html

http://www.civilwarhome.com/gatlinggun.htm

 

I have a girlfriend who, at around age 5 (during the Vietnam War), once took her Barbie and artfully arranged her in a punji pit then dribbled her with thinned red watercolor "blood", totally horrifying her totally pacifist anti-war demonstrator mother.

[kristavws]

I bought a bunch of Imaginext knight stuff on ebay one time for my boys. The woman who sold me the stuff had told me there was a knight that had been victimized by the family dog and was armless. This is by far my boys' favorite knight. It seems his arm was chopped off in a horrible battle.....

 

Krista

[Cindy in FL.]

You bring back fond memories of my oldest. He did the same thing with the little plastic army men. Arms, legs, etc. all with a touch of the red polish. My four younger ones don't have access to the nail polish, thankfully. But, there's still plenty of mayhem.

 

Cindy

[elegantlion]

This thread is cracking me up. I working on writing a novel and I need to do some gun research. I consulted with my 10 year old on the ins and outs of revolvers. I got a very long dissertation on the subject.

 

He used to love Thomas the tank, but now it's all about the Military Channel.

[Desert Rat]

See, my oldest was the puzzle, reading, patterns kind of boy. Not typical at all but right up my alley. Then along comes Tom with his all-boyness. Our playmobil dudes have open craniums here. Drives me crazy! And we have a lot of those Imaginext guys who are always dying horrific deaths. Not to mention what the poor animals are put through.

I look to my husband, one of 5 boys, and he assures me that this is, indeed, how little boys play. He told our boys the other day of the year he got a BB Gun. He shot all the birds in the back yard. Gack! But it gets so much worse! He didn't pick them up and his dad hit tons of them with the lawn mower. Blah!

Since that story, I have encouraged him to censor what he says! We don't need Pete and Repete living at our house!

[Chris in VA]

Think of it this way--they'll be all ready to read Homer. Even the Mary Pope Osborne series has tons of gore! lol

Dd8 loved it.

[momto3]

This is one of my favorite threads! I'm still laughing. DS and friend are forever battling with their playmobil and army men with all the sound effects, of course. When they get a little too crazed I have to remember that they will be thinking of girls in a few more years and then I enjoy hearing the battles. Enjoy each stage, they will be grown and out of the house too soon.

[Tess in the Burbs]

we had a no gun policy for awhile...then I relented and allowed swords. don't ask me now my reasoning on why that was ok over guns! but then he bought guns at Disney MGM. the Star Tours had star wars guns. it was his money. I kept my mouth shut.

 

but there are days the killing talk bothers me. how could my sweet, fairly shy, introvert son have knowledge of all this murder and creative killing plots?

 

obviously from the stories here it's natural boy talk that is in the DNA. :D

[anewday]

But can't we set up the Playmobil tent and pretend the family's camping ~ and not have the motorcyclist terrorize the campground? Can't we get everything all nicely arranged in the A-frame house and just keep it that way? Can't we PLEASE refrain, dear older sons, from intentionally decapitating a soldier, touching it up with red nail polish, and encouraging the younger guys to follow in your masochistic ways?:ack2:

 

 

:smilielol5::smilielol5::smilielol5::smilielol5:

 

My only boy is about to turn 3...so I haven't had these um, lovely experiences quite yet being that he's much influenced by 2 little mommies and one great big one. LOL

 

But I look forward to it...I guess. :blink::D

[Cindy in FL.]

My oldest used to spend a lot of time with his grandfather because I was a single mom at the time. Granddad had a BB gun which was fair game for my son who in turn made the lizards around Granddad's house fair game. When I found out I informed them both that it was fine as long as my son was willing to eat what he killed. That was the end of that!

 

Cindy

[elegantlion]

We like to get out the LIFE game (Pirates of the Caribbean version). We have fights with the ships and make up our own games with the cards. It's such a hoot.

[keptwoman]

Oh my goodness, you all made me laugh until the tears were running down my face.

And I'm SO glad I'm not alone. Some times I despair at DS (8) and his gory play, I often wonder if he is going to end up a nice person with it all. You all give me hope that boys can do this and turn out normal.

I will say we've had no red nail polish or markers used, perhaps I should be feeling grateful!

[linders]

My DS7 sounds just like the maniacal head-scalper with a fixation on knights and pirates, but DS5 is rather sweet at heart. For the past Christmas and recent birthday he requested Playmobil - the bunny house, and assorted bunny accompaniments. He likes making the bunnies play school and find food.

 

Today, little brother set up the bunny house and was playing peacefully. Meanwhile, big brother was outfitting the pirate ship with every cannon, soldier, gun, cutlass, etc. in his possession. Said ship snuck up on bunny house and...oh, it wasn't pretty. DS5 was hysterical. DS7 (and weaponry) was banned from the living room for the remainder of the day.