Hi everyone How do I stop my son from writing on the walls

Liz - posted on 02/15/2009

My son went through that when he was about two or so.  I believe in letting children express themselves whether it be through art or music.  Whatever the forum maybe that you choose is fine.  Do not let you child tear up your house!!!!  I took all of his markers crayons chalk etc and got rid of them.  I gave him things like the color wonder markers which only would work on the specific paper. They also have paintings that they can paint that use only water. These are great ways to let them express themselves artistically and minimize the household destruction!  LOL!    He started kinder this year and just got to use crayons again at home.  He is now old enough to understand that writing on the walls in not something acceptable to do.

Sasha - posted on 02/15/2009

There seem to be a lot of people saying to stop your child drawing. if a child needs to express that side of themselves, not sure how that would go. Taking all the pens away is fine, untill they find one. You can aim for only allowing supervised drawing, but never stop a child being creative, and always value their efforts.

Kate CP - posted on 02/14/2009

I see a lot of moms saying you should put something on the wall to let him draw on and this just doesn't seem like a good idea. Think about this: you don't want him drawing on the walls, but we're going to put something on the wall so he CAN draw on it. That, to me, is very confusing. Here's what I did and my daughter hasn't written on the wall since she was a year old (she's 3 now):
Catch him at it! Pen (or pencil) in hand and make a big deal about it: "Don't write on my walls! I don't like it when you write on my walls. Mommy doesn't write on the wall. We write on paper ONLY." Then, make him clean it up. I use the magic eraser thing from Mr. Clean. Get it ready for him and take him over to the wall where he marked it up and make him clean up the mess. Don't clean it up for him, don't let him wander off before it's all gone. He's got to scrub until that writing is off the wall. My daughter obviously didn't have enough arm strength to really scrub the walls so I would help her scrub with the magic eraser.
Next, you have to catch him doing the right thing with his writing utensils. When you see him coloring on paper make a big deal about it "Oh, wow! Look at that awesome picture! You're doing such a good job coloring on the paper! When you're all done can I put it on the fridge?" Offer to color with him on the paper (get your own piece, though-respect your child's work) and talk about coloring "I just love to color on paper. I can save the pictures I draw and show them to you when I draw on the paper."

It's all about timing: catch them at the right moment so you can praise them at the right time and give the appropriate consequences when they have made a poor choice. More info on Montessori teaching methods: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montessori

Alina - posted on 02/14/2009

Take his crayons away!  I know this is the best way because this was the only thing that stopped our son doing exactly the same thing :)!  I now give him ONE crayon, let him use it under my supervision and when I go the crayon goes with me! 

Holly - posted on 02/14/2009

Take away the writing utensils and abolish them from his tiny hands poof!

Sasha - posted on 02/14/2009

My Aspie son did that. We put a chalk board over his favourite spot, and that cut it down. Distraction, encouraging him to write in 'good' places, putting the tings he writes/drawers on the walls are all good. If you run out of wall space, put them all in a big book together and let him see how much you value what he does, and let him look through it whenever he wants. But ultimatly, expect to redecorate when he grows out of it, and he will.

Janet - posted on 01/25/2009

Watch him very closely.... mine is almost three and a half and still does it. One time while she was supposed to be taking a nap and I was in the shower she climbed to the top shelf and got the crayons down and colored ALL the way across the house and back up to her room and now her whole room is colored. She did this all in five minutes

Gladys - posted on 01/25/2009

You can't not stop the child from writing on the walls (my personal opinion), this comes with follow up. Now, I do recommend you buying him/her toys or gadgets that have to do with writing and coloring and do not leave him/her unattended this has helped my 3 year old alot together with explaining that writing on the walls is not a good choice (need to explain constantly). If any help kids between ages 2 and 3 are in a process of developing retention. It's easier to give up, then to be persistent! Good Luck!

Michelle - posted on 01/25/2009

WHatvever method you have for discipline ( mine is to to put him in another room and close the door - he hates it) use this whenever you catch him writing on the walls

Helen - posted on 01/25/2009

I would just by a role of that cheap paper u can get in the craft stores and tape it in a place like the kitchen where u can supervise and then show him that he can write on the walls where the paper is and nowhere else. At least then he can still draw the way he is comfortable and it won't ruin anything. I am sure after a few days of showing him where it is ok he will figure it out. If that works and it is something he doesn't seem to grow out of you can buy paint that dries like a chalk board maybe u can do that in his playroom or bedroom. At least u can enjoy the his artwork without the stress!

Rebecca - posted on 01/25/2009

My oldest always wrote on walls.  One day I gave her a bucket and a sponge along with her makers and told her she could only draw on the walls if she could erasue it after.  She never wrote on walls again.  I did not really make her get it off the walls but I did have her work at it a long time.  Maybe 5-7 minutes.

Janette - posted on 01/25/2009

The way my daughter stopped coloring on the walls was when we handed her a bucket of water and a sponge and had her clean if off. She absolutely hated to wash the wall off, but when we sat down and talked to her about the consequences of coloring on the wall, she did stop.....Hope that might help:)

Annette - posted on 01/25/2009

Have a place dedicated for him to write on a wall, such as the laundry room at my house.

Put up some butcher paper and place it on the wall he tags. You could also make sure you have a scheduled art time for artistic activities, and play pictionary customed to his age.  Make up little index cards and have him draw a circle, star; shapes that he needs to learn for school.

Daisy - posted on 01/25/2009

I used to have the same problem with my son who is almost 5. I didn't know how to stop him either but christmas came around and I found paints and markers for children that worked..The colour comes out ONLY on the specified paper.. It's amazing my son loves them and doesn't  draw on th walls anymore..the paper is also sold seperately when u run out.

Isis - posted on 01/25/2009

Hi Fiona,

Buy a roll of white paper and put it on a designated wall. Explain that this wall is where to draw, yes he is 3 but he understands. The first time you put it up paint/color/draw with him and refer to the wall as the painting wall...I hope this helps....



Isis

Tea - posted on 01/25/2009

Hi there,I HOPE THIS MIGHT HELP YOU ,PAINT ONE SIDE OF THE WALL WITH THE CHALKBOARD PAINT YOU CAN GET THIS PAINT IN B &Q  ITS FANTASTIC TOOL ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY START SCHOOL BRILLIANT TO KEEP THEM BUISY

Janette - posted on 01/25/2009

you could try to give him a section of the wall just for him and buy some chalkboard paint and some chalks. ask him to draw mammy a picture just on his bit.

Samantha - posted on 01/25/2009

Give him a sponge and a bucket of water and make him stand there till it's clean, we did that when our daughter was three and let me tell ya, it stopped her from drawing on walls... it sounds a little mean, but tough love, if those behaviors are nipped in the bud early, they become great kids later. My daughter is fourteen and I think she's awesome.

Danielle - posted on 01/25/2009

Also, what about buying a magna doodle board or aqua doodle set? My kids love these and we even have mini ones that we take in the car and into the grocery carts for shopping- keeps them busy for hours! They have even figured out how to move the switch to erase them! The aqua doodle is fun because you just fill the pen with water and it only writes or stamps on the special pad. It dries and disappears- plus nontoxic if put in the mouth!

Danielle - posted on 01/25/2009

I have the same problem with my twin daughters who are 20 months old. What I have done is lock away all art supplies in one of my hiding spots and then Santa brought them and their 4 year old brother an art easel. Special days (like too cold or rainy) I pull it out and gate them in the kitchen with art supplies for hours of fun. I also invested in bathtub crayons and paints. It cleans off of the bath tile and tub easily and they have fun expressing themselves in the tub and on their own selves while in the water! However, at such a young age, they cannot be trusted with writing utensils... so lock them up and pull them out when you feel appropriate under constant supervision and ready to gear him away from the walls.

If you paint a wall in the house to allow them to color, they will not know the difference at such a young age on which wall can be colored and which cannot. Just as Jaime said- Color Wonder items, washable crayola items and the easel are best!

Rebecca - posted on 01/25/2009

when my kids were younger, i had that problem,  i started taping paper to the wall for them to draw on, sometimes there were alot of paper, but it saved the walls, and that way they think their art work is on the wall , and putting a chalk board on the actual wall for them to draw on,

Jaime - posted on 01/25/2009

We have the same problem as I have a soon to be 7 yr old and 2.5 year old. While the 6 yr old is doing homework the 2.5 year old comes around and somehow manages to "sneak" a couple of pencils away from her. I have found that having my 6 year old sit up at the kitchen table (out of the 2 yr olds reach) and giving her Color Wonder by Crayola markers and paper to draw with helped. Color wonder has tons of art supplies that are invisible when not drawn on the paper color wonder paper. They are great! Another solution may be to get a big easel with eraseable markers Toy's R Us has a 2-sided easel (one side chalkboard and other is a wipe board) which is around $35. If the little one does color on the walls, it will wipe off with ease using a magic eraser. Don't get me wrong, my little one still occassionally tries to color on the walls--I always remind her that "we only draw on paper" and she is placed in timeout (age appropriate). Consistency my dear! :) The Color wonder and easel have helped out a great deal. Hope that helps!

Naomi - posted on 01/25/2009

maybe just take them all away and tell him that until he learns to draw and write and paper like everyone else then he cannot have them, also the water pens that you can buy is a good idea, you fill them with water and they only work on special paper and won't mark your walls and carpets etc.

don't worry i have a few pieces of art work on my bedroom walls too! ha ha ( even on my sofa!)

Mary - posted on 01/25/2009

my son has the same problem. I have stuck to just taking them away and putting on a shelf in a closet until we have "art" time.

Nancy - posted on 01/25/2009

I would paint on of his walls in his bedroom with chalkboard paint and let him have a great time and praise him for his work...maybe even spend some time painting with him. Sounds like he is trying to get your attention.

Davina - posted on 01/25/2009

I have a son who is 1 year and likes to do that too, all I do is consistent. I keep moving him to the paper and his books. And he will draw. I don't know if that would work or not

Fiona - posted on 01/25/2009

Thanks for replying I know what you mean I also have a 5year old daughter and that is also what happen some time when she has to do home work and uses her pencils he grabs them and runs.

Sally - posted on 01/25/2009

colour wonder! they have finger paints, paint brushes and felts that are invisible unless they colour on the special paper. also, washable crayons and felts work alright as long as you wash them off asap. and hide all adult pens.

Fiona - posted on 01/25/2009

Thanks I think I will have to maybe try that.

Alicia - posted on 01/25/2009

I wish I knew the answer to this, we are fighting this with our 2.5 year old as well.  She aslo loves to color herslf as well :(

The problem we have is our 6 year old gets the crayons & markers out for her.  So we havent even been able to put them up away from her.

Emma - posted on 01/25/2009

hi in shops they sell paper that is used in offices (drawing boards) just get a large roll of that stick it on the wall, dont know if that will stop him doing it but it wont ruin the walls