Pens, Pencils, Markers, Crayons, Colored Pencils, AND anything smearable...
Please tell me we are not alone... :)
The girls are obsessed with writing utensils and we have talked and they have had consequences due to markings ending up on walls, furniture, each other's bodies, etc... BUT, it doesn't seem to sink in and have any lasting affect. Though, ask them where it is appropriate to "draw or write" and they say on PAPER clear as a bell. We try to keep all things markable collected and out of sight. We have an art bin/area in the kitchen to keep attempt to keep all art projects IN the kitchen. Out of reach isn't an option... they can get to anything... literally. Saturday morning I was about ready to collect every last pen, pencil, marker, crayon, etc... and THROW THEM AWAY. But, it seems that 1) it is a little drastic, we ought to be able to write notes if needed and 2) I don't want to remove all of these creative utensils... I want them to be able to draw, just not on non-appropriate surfaces.
Their second obsession is smearing anything smearable on their bodies and/or walls. Soaps, lotions, toothpaste, Vaseline, diaper rash cream, POOP, you name it it can NOT be left out and must be completely out of sight. They see it, they must play with it and make art out of it. So, if ever you are a guest in our house and want to wash your hands in the bathroom... feel free to open the cupboard and rifle through the pile of towels... you may find some hand soap stuffed in there... right next to the toothpaste and if you are lucky some lotion to.
So by now you may be able to imagine just how bad our walls look. They are in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint, after all it has been 6 years since they were painted last. Then add in the "artwork", it's not a pretty sight. It is on our list of things to do but we haven't gotten to it. Maybe because we fear that it won't matter and they will quickly look like this again. But then it would also be sad to paint over the artwork on the walls. Everyday when going up to nap, Ben would stop and say "pretty" to the beautiful crayola art on the stairwell wall.
We are so hoping this is a phase that ends soon. But what do we do short of removing all of these items from the house? Some family members say... well, "just tell them that they can't do this and make them clean it up". As IF we haven't tried. We've done that over and over and it clearly doesn't seem to work. Clearly we haven't found a consequence bad enough to make them stop and they don't care that they have to clean up their mess.
I swear all kids have something, some passion for doing something that redirection and consequences doesn't stop. Today it's art, what will it be tomorrow?
The girls are obsessed with writing utensils and we have talked and they have had consequences due to markings ending up on walls, furniture, each other's bodies, etc... BUT, it doesn't seem to sink in and have any lasting affect. Though, ask them where it is appropriate to "draw or write" and they say on PAPER clear as a bell. We try to keep all things markable collected and out of sight. We have an art bin/area in the kitchen to keep attempt to keep all art projects IN the kitchen. Out of reach isn't an option... they can get to anything... literally. Saturday morning I was about ready to collect every last pen, pencil, marker, crayon, etc... and THROW THEM AWAY. But, it seems that 1) it is a little drastic, we ought to be able to write notes if needed and 2) I don't want to remove all of these creative utensils... I want them to be able to draw, just not on non-appropriate surfaces.
Their second obsession is smearing anything smearable on their bodies and/or walls. Soaps, lotions, toothpaste, Vaseline, diaper rash cream, POOP, you name it it can NOT be left out and must be completely out of sight. They see it, they must play with it and make art out of it. So, if ever you are a guest in our house and want to wash your hands in the bathroom... feel free to open the cupboard and rifle through the pile of towels... you may find some hand soap stuffed in there... right next to the toothpaste and if you are lucky some lotion to.
So by now you may be able to imagine just how bad our walls look. They are in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint, after all it has been 6 years since they were painted last. Then add in the "artwork", it's not a pretty sight. It is on our list of things to do but we haven't gotten to it. Maybe because we fear that it won't matter and they will quickly look like this again. But then it would also be sad to paint over the artwork on the walls. Everyday when going up to nap, Ben would stop and say "pretty" to the beautiful crayola art on the stairwell wall.
We are so hoping this is a phase that ends soon. But what do we do short of removing all of these items from the house? Some family members say... well, "just tell them that they can't do this and make them clean it up". As IF we haven't tried. We've done that over and over and it clearly doesn't seem to work. Clearly we haven't found a consequence bad enough to make them stop and they don't care that they have to clean up their mess.
I swear all kids have something, some passion for doing something that redirection and consequences doesn't stop. Today it's art, what will it be tomorrow?
posted by Sonya at 10:00 AM
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