Reader poll: LEGO edition.

I never get enough commenters to bother with poll widgets -- I can do the math in my head.  Answer in the comments.

When you are sweeping the floor and you find in your dustpan a tiny little piece from a building set, or a marble, or some other insignificant mass-produced plastic object -- what do you do?

 - Throw it away with the other sweepings.  It's just a LEGO

 - Pick it out of the dustpan and it away.  These things cost money

 - Save it in a box of other little found bits, and put it away later

 - Save it in a box of other little found bits, and make the kids put it away later

 - Call one or more children to your side, dramatically show them how you Almost Threw Away Their Stuff, remind them to take care of their things, and make them put it away

 - Depends on my whim of the moment

Most of the time I'm the throwing-it-away sort, except for some reason I'm protective of pieces from board games.  

Comments

[Charlotte (Matilda)]

Depends on my whim but I vacillate between just throwing it away and showing them that I almost threw it away. I'm also protective of game pieces with the exception of those little Battleship pegs. I hate those things and will be happy when I can throw away the whole game because there are no more red or white pegs to be found. Wah hah hah!

[Barbara C.]

I try to avoid anything that involves small pieces...too much potential for becoming a choking hazard for a baby while I'm busy with something else. All of that stuff (Polly Pockets come to mind)is only allowed at Granny's house because she watches them like a hawk and has more time to clean up after.

I also require that board games be played at the kitchen table, and as I am usually playing with them I make sure all the pieces are back together.

[entropy]

For junk and plastic crap: throw it away and then tell them when they're looking for it that I think I swept it up,

For nice things, I show them. I know I've handed my daughter the shoe to her (knock-off) American Girl doll at least 4 times...I guess I'll finally have to throw it away next time even though I don't want to.

[Christy P.]

We don't have a lot of small pieces yet, but we have bigger pieces that get left out. My most useful tactic is actually putting the stuff in 'time out' for a day. It totally helps with motivation for her to put things away properly.

[Bethany]

If it's a cheap plastic nothing sort of thing, I gladly throw it away, usually without calling the kids over because they will dramatically exclaim over me throwing it away, even if they haven't played with it or seen it in a month. If it's a Lego, I make my son not play with the Legos for a specified amount of time so that he learns that the pieces have to stay off the floor. Countless times a day I am pulling little Lego pieces out of my one year old's mouth.

[Sara]

I guess Depends on my Whim is sort of the "all of the above" category. But for legos, I'd probably toss it in the trash because there are too dang many of them anyway!

Oh, unless it was a special piece like the top of R2D2's head!

[bearing]

LOL about R2D2's head.

[Amy F]

I usually put them up on a table and they eventually find their way back to the box. I do put toys in time out though.

[MrsDarwin]

Kick it out of the dustpile to pick up later. Maybe later, put it on a bookshelf. Eventually the piece falls off the bookshelf. Repeat whole process.