How to Avoid Toy Troubles

Doll houses. Wagons and wheelbarrows. Make-believe kitchens. Tricycles.

For kids, those are Christmas dreams. But for parents they can be a nightmare - and one that often seems to strike at 2 on Christmas morning.

Two a.m. is not the ideal time to realize that assembly directions in German are probably of little use. Nor is it the moment to ask yourself if your daughter will really care if her new doll carriage has three wheels instead of four.

Here are tips on how to spare yourself some of them:

Read the boxes in the store, before you buy anything. Many have quite a bit of information on the outside.

Check the age recommendation. Is it appropriate?

Does the toy require assembly? If so, the box may tell you what tools you need.

It may also give you an estimated time for assembly.

If there are no instructions on the outside, or if they seem inadequate, ask to have a box opened and check the directions. The best directions, have lots of illustrations and very few words. Completely wordless directions are a coming trend.

As soon as possible, open the box. Lay out the pieces and count them. Is everything there? If there are lots of little pieces, use an egg carton or ice cube tray to sort them.

Give yourself some time. Don't wait until Christmas Eve to begin assembly - a night when the kids will be staying up late and rising early. You don't need that extra pressure.

Get your tools together. Toy assembly basics are: screwdrivers, both Phillips and slot-head, in several sizes, including very small; regular pliers; needlenose pliers; a bottle of Superglue; a battery tester. For toys, alkaline batteries are generally a better choice than rechargeables.

Cover your floor or work area with a sheet. It's much easier to find a dropped bolt there than in the nap of the carpet. If possible, do your work on a table and save your back. Protect the table with another sheet.

Consider making it fun and sharing the load by planning a toy assembly party with friends. Let the handier ones do the assembly while the mechanically challenged spouses ply them with food and compliments.

But if you are assembling toys away from home, ask yourself: How will I get it back? For example, speaking from long-ago experience, DeJulio notes that an assembled playhouse will not fit into a car.

Know your limits.

If a project is honestly beyond you but the gift is right, ask at the store if it offers assembly. Many stores do, generally for an extra fee.

Many toys today require partial assembly, usually plastic parts that snap together.

That depends on the kind of Christmas Day you are planning. If you are going to be busy - visiting relatives, entertaining guests, put them together yourself, in advance. It will take much less time, and that way the kids will at least get to try out their new toys.

But if you have a slow Christmas Day at home leave the parts in and make a family project of assembling them. Sometimes, kids have as much fun with that process as with the final product.