Other people handling your dolls

Is there a way you could padlock that, too?

 

Tell them it isn't safe, because frankly, barns aren't. If you are having renovations that is an EXCELLENT excuse. Tell them, "Sorry, but the house is in shambles. Renovations you know. Let's play outside instead." Or whatever, in your own words of course. The locks may come in useful at a later time too so don't feel silly for buying all those locks.

 

You know... it may be rude to tell them all about the price and the strictness/severity of the issue...but if they barge into yourself at random times.... you should enforce the right you have and throw it right back at them ...O.O

 

There have been some very great suggestions on this thread already, I just wanted to add my two cents.

My co-worker has two rambunctious children and they've been over to my house a few times since I got the dolls. One of the first things she asked was how much the boys cost. So she knows how expensive they are -- and she told the kids not to touch our dolls, explaining that they were "grown-up dolls." (At grown-up prices, no kidding...) After being told that, the kids still had to be supervised. At all times. To remind them, no touchee.

I recommend taking your step-sister aside, without her kids, and explaining that you have some dolls, they cost X amount of money, and you don't want anything to happen to them. Then say to her, "what would you recommend?" Put the ball in her court. Make it her responsibility to offer solutions. It's also okay to let her know that if her children break anything -- glass in your studio, dishes in your kitchen, dolls in your living room -- you will expect her to reimburse you at cost.

It's really important to set up this expectation ahead of time. It might help to prevent tragedy, or worse, her kids break something, you expect her to offer to reimburse you, and she never does!

Padlocking the studio is a great idea. I also think it's a great idea to be pro-active and have things set up that are absolutely irresistible to kids: a sprinkler outside with a slide set up, finger paints and crayons and construction paper on a table outside, or heck, an interesting movie playing on the television with popcorn and soda on the table.

 

I'm coming into this late, but I really wanted to wish grey_roses the best of luck!

It sounds like she knows her stepsister and her kids pretty well and realizes that a lot of the suggestions that sound like they would work with most reasonable people probably wouldn't work with them. I can totally understand, because I have a sister-inlaw who is the same way. My husband and I are childfree by choice and his oldest sister has only one wonderful daughter, but the middle sister decided to make up for us by having three little hellions and marrying a second husband who had one of his own. Now, my first question before accepting when invited for holiday gatherings is "will 'she' be there?" There's no controlling or disciplining her children and no reasoning with her, so I just avoid her as best I can. I couldn't ever imagine her kids getting within 20 miles of my dolls, that's for sure! I think that grey_roses' "hide and lock" method might save her sanity and keep her from wasting a lot of breath trying to set down rules that would just be ignored. Again, good luck!!! :grin:

 

*giggles* How often do you get a setup like that, huh?

 

[quote="grey_roses" Maybe I should make my dolls tshirts with cows on them, in appreciation of their sacrifice & support...[/quote]

I would so want one of those... :cow

 

I want a cow shirt! *keyboard is jacked by sister*

okay, my suggestion to prevent grabbiness? duct tape mittens. left with one large mass per hand + an opposable thumb with limited movement is sure to prove a point. it's not technically cruel since they'll eventually sweat the tape loose, and while the mittens are still secure, the point of "no touchie!" is driven home every time they try to do anything. xD that's totally my parenting solution.. also good for nieces/nephews/sisters/pets/grabby strangers at conventions.. if you don't mind a running rescue tackle.

o_o *takes keyboard back* Um.. so yeah, TOTALLY not my idea but she doesn't have a DOA account yet.

 

*dons the virtual cow shirt* Much love you to.

It's magic gloves! They make you magically unable to hurt anything!

 

You know, I hate to say it, but they've all (stepsister included) proven that they can't be trusted to respect you or your things. That being said, I would just point blank tell them that you are not accepting visitors this summer. Health, renovation, AND the fact that you can't trust the little darlings not to break your valuables. What valuables, they ask? Just say you value all of your belongings, and therefore you don't want them broken. End of story. Arrange to go on outings, if you feel you must. Maybe take the niece for a girls day, if you think she has potential.

My friends and family know my house is off-limits to those who are too young to sit at a computer and entertain themselves. One half-sister understands and when she has visited, usually for an hour or so, she keeps her toddler son on her lap the entire time. Usually he ends up screaming, and that's their cue to leave. He's cute, but too young to be let loose in the house. Most of our friends love to look at all our breakables, and they respect our belongings, so it's not an issue. But I don't hesitate to tell people NO KIDS ALLOWED. Once told, they learn to accept it.

However, if you have to have them there, then lock everything behind doors, and keep the key in your pocket. Frankly, I don't know why people feel they must inflict their poorly raised, badly controlled children on other people. I cringe when I see what kids do in public, in restaurants and stores, and other peoples homes. Really, the parents do nothing to control them, and they end up acting out and generally behaving like wild animals. I'd rather have a dog, but that's just my personal opinion! :grin:

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

 

This situation sounds WAY too famillier to me. I deserve a medal of bravery for what my nieces have put me through.... 20 full days of horror and chaos...

You see my brother, his wife, and their three young daughters (6, 3, and 1) live far away and hardly get to visit us (thank god). So... a few weeks ago they all drove here... with their dog, and stayed for 20 whole days!!!

I love my family and I love my nieces.... but all three of them are demonic spawn of the devil. Their parents aren't bad parents, it's just that their children are the forces of chaos personified. Anyway, whenever they visit, they wreck and tear and break and climb and spill and drop and stratch and stain and anything else they can do to destroy something.

My mother, since they are her precious grandchildren, acts as if they are perfect little angels, and guess who's room they want to "play in".... Yup, mine. My room is stuffed with dolls, pretty glass things, jewelry and all the other pretty shiny things girls love, so as you can see, it's a bit of a problem.

My solution? Two hook-and-eye locks on my door, one on each side. For the most part (when they are around) I barricade myself in my room and lock myself in, both to escape the noise and to make sure my stuff is safe. When I'm out, I lock the outside lock so the little monsters can't get in while I'm not there.

I've made it quite clear to everyone that they are NOT to enter my domain at any time, no matter what. So far my room has remained mostly unscathed by this method, I'm just dreading the day they can reach the lock...

I may sound like a cruel person, but seriously, after 20 whole days of noise and mess and terror, I'm surprised my sanity survived it all.

Peace and quiet is a beautiful thing...

 

Oh the number of times I have told my parents for YEARS not to let ANYONE in my room had fallen on deaf and dumb ears. So I made my own rules and posted a big ass sign in front of my door that said: IF you enter this room and break my things, I will come to your house and go into your room and break your things and will pay you nothing in return. It's only fair.

 

Buy some ropes. Then... you can play thief and police! But with real arresting! Sounds exiciting ah?

Put your dolls in a room and lock it. And clos ethe windows too. Lock the places you don't want them to go and if the mother ask why just say: it is full of delicate things, they are quite expansive and easy to break, so I thik it'd be better keeping the kids away from it, since they might even get hurted by one of those things breaking you know... (insert a lot of balbabla about being careful with kids playing and getting hurted and sound a lil paranoid but confident)

With me? I lock my room. Really. Or I hide them on my mother's closet and - lock it.
People can't pass trough walls (thanks God) so it is a great solution!


The rope is another way too... - much more fun.... tourturing kids lalalaaaa

 

Keep them in your bedroom.
i don't see why your sister's kids would go into your bedroom anyway.
Don't mention there's anything in your room, just say plainly it is off limits.
Alot easier then having them SEE the doll, and WANT to play with it. A boring old room, they won't touch.

I know if it were my family, there woudl be no way I could avoid not letting them into my house --;

 

Although I do plan on having children, I sure as hell hate annoying ones. I babysat for a while, have an older brother who puts me in headlocks, have a brother 4 years younger than me with ADHD, gross habits, poor manners, and other things, and all I have to say is, I have the most well behaved cousins that I have ever seen.

On my mom's side, I have 2 uncles. one uncle has a boy and a girl. The girl (whose name is Julia, and mine is Juliana) is the ony girl cousin I have, and she's about half my age, but she is sweet, and never destructive. When she tries to do my hair, I politely refuse and she gets the point quick. Her brother is quiet and plays with my brother, so it's okay. My other uncle lives on the other coast of america, so we rarely visit, but the kids (two younger boys) are really cute, and energetic, but not very annoying.

On my dad's side, I only have 2 boy cousins, but I think they are the most behaved. one of them is ony a toddler, but he is so cute. Gah. his older brother who is 6 or 7 is the cutest damn child I've ever seen. OMFG. If I could choose a child, it would be exactly like him. He is the most well behaved and delightful kid EVAR.

If I have an encounter with an annoying kid (I'm not talking annoying like energetic, I'm talking obnoxious) then I get away away away. Yuck. Badly behaved children make my head go insane. I don't want kids to be like zombies, but kids who can't grow up are ewe ewe ewe ewe ewe. 'Nuff said.

As far as my personal belongings, I close my door, with all my stuff inside, and keep myself away from it.The boys get distracted by my brother, the girl(s) just follow me or their family around, which is yay. If they walk into a closed door without asking, that's rude, even if there isn't a lock.

As much as Marius wouldn't like it, if the situation is necessary, I would put him in his travel bag.