Geo Trax, Fight!

There is a downside to having a really cool toy; everyone wants to play with it.  That cool toy in our house is our Geo Trax train set and it has become a source of confrontation between our children. Geo Trax first showed on the scene a bit ago and since then there has been some ebb and flow with their interest in it.  If we have them hidden they don't notice they're gone and they don't play with them much.

When we have them out and I build a track then it becomes a free for all.  One child could be playing along nicely and then the other comes in and wants to run a train themselves.  The problem is that a lot of times the trains share the same track and sometimes the same space (read crashes into each other).  When they block each other out either intentional or by accident is where the problems start.  Mom and I understand there will be conflicts but when Alyce and Luke get into it they get loud.  The usual example is Luke knocking Alyce's train off the track as he crawls around.  Alyce then yells "Luke, you are always messing up my stuff!".  Luke responds with a long high pitched scream you could hear a block away.  If they both want the same train, track piece, or anything it only gets worse.  They will both be pulling on it screaming at the top of their lungs.

The whole thing is maddening.  The best way I've found to combat their combat is to create two tracks and make them play by themselves.  Of course if the tracks aren't identical there there is still some room for jealousy.

Oh kids why are you so kid like?