Your Baby Won’t be Spoiling Your Walls With Her Scribbling With These 4 Easy Tricks in Place!
When your little one is growing, their curiosity and creativity develop as well. And before you know it, these little geniuses are on their way to becoming budding Picassos! And well, the walls of your house are their canvas. But it’s definitely a nightmare for mommies!
‘No, you aren’t supposed to draw on the wall, that’s what papers are for’
‘Did you just use a permanent marker all over the living room’s wall? Again?’
Sounds familiar? Well that’s probably because you use these sentences quite often while talking to your growing artists.These creative geniuses have so many ideas that they find scribbling all over your living room wall the best way to express them.While for them it is creativity, for you it definitely is a constant struggle which no amount of warnings, sweet talking or scolding can help with.
It is observed that toddlers absolutely love the sounds of pounding crayons and gazing at their magical creations on a wall.They feel happy from the motion and surprising appearance of lines when they put the crayon and the wall in contact.Although these may be seen as creative responses, we mothers certainly worry about the damage it does to the walls.Who doesn’t want a pretty and neat home but without restricting the child’s creativity? Well, here are some tricks that you can adopt to deal with the situation!
4 Tricks to Keep Your Walls Scribble-Free!
Here are the tricks you can try!
1. Create a Designated Wall
Well, it’s always better to define boundaries but it’s even better to create alternatives. One cannot possibly expect kids to change their habits overnight,but these habits can certainly be channelized better. So, a simple solution for this would be to have one designated wall in the house, preferably in or near their room,on which they have the freedom to draw, scribble and create anything.
But if you are still sceptical about this one, here’s a trick. Cover the wall with a large sheet of chart paper. Alternatively, you could also get this wall painted with chalkboard paint. So, whenever they scribble on the wall, it will be easier to clean it.
2. Keep Washable Crayons Handy
Replace all crayons with washable ones. So whenever your little one draws their masterpiece you can be assured that it isn’t permanent and can be removed.Alternatively, make sure you have the talk where you tell them that walls aren’t the place they’re supposed to draw on, but a paper is. It’s important to keep instilling that message in their minds.
3. Provide Other Outlets for Them to Express Their Creativity
Do not curb your child’s creativity, instead give him other outlets to express their talent! For example, if the weather is good, allow them to draw on the pavement in your veranda.Use bath paints and crayons to play with and scribble on bath tiles during bath time. Also, if it snows where you stay, a snowman is always the best idea!
4. Express Disappointment, Not Anger
Finally, patience is the key when it comes to kids. If you have repeatedly told your little one to not draw or scribble on the walls and they continue doing so,chances are that you will get irritated and sooner or later lose your patience. Most parents resort to punishment and expressing anger, but that is not going to help at all.Children comprehend emotions quite well, and therefore expressing disappointment will be more nurturing than expressing anger.They also imitate behaviours, and anger will simply instil a sense of rebellious response. Also, chances are that when you are empathetic,your child will understand what is wrong and what is right. Understanding and not fear is what will help them not repeat a wrong act.
Scribbling is a very important identifier of your child’s development. It enhances hand-eye coordination, brings out creativity and also improves their motor skills.Toddlers and growing babies have an instinctive eagerness towards this and this indicates how they are moving towards the learning stage.Their brain and body develops and builds a readiness for more difficult tasks later in life. Therefore, it’s always the best idea to keep both your concerns and their development in mind. It’s a win-win!
Have more such tips that can prevent toddlers from scribbling on the wall? Share them with other moms by leaving a comment below.