These pictures are not clear, but they are enough to give you an idea of what our budding little artist, Timothy, was up to during naptime yesterday. It was his turn to take his nap in Daddy and Mommy's bed and he was soooo quiet yesterday! After an hour or so, I peeked in on him, expecting to see him lying there, peacefully sleeping. Instead, he was just lying there staring at me. I asked him if he was done resting (as I didn't want him to fall asleep too late or we'd be in trouble come bedtime) and he replied that he was. He bounced out of bed and tore off out of the room as fast as he could. I thought it was because he was anxious to get back to the Candyland game that was deserted prior to naptime.
When Fred and I stumbled into bed in the semi-dark room last night, I thought I saw something on the wall above our bed. I DID see something! I saw a three-year-old's masterpiece taking up the entire wall behind our king-sized bed! He had drawn roads and cars and sunshines and smile-faces and a bunch of things that were unidentifiable at 11:00 at night.
PAUSE!!!! Deep and very painful pause here while I regain my composure. Breathe, Martha! Count to ten! No, wait. On second thought you'd better count to one thousand.
Sigh.
Ok. Here's the rest of the story. I just now went up to check on Stephen during naptime today because it was so comfortingly quiet up there. I am shocked by what I found. I just don't even know how to react, thus the above paragraph encouraging me to pause, breathe and count until I am more than sure I am calm.
Ok. Here's the rest of the story. I just now went up to check on Stephen during naptime today because it was so comfortingly quiet up there. I am shocked by what I found. I just don't even know how to react, thus the above paragraph encouraging me to pause, breathe and count until I am more than sure I am calm.
I found Stephen standing by his bed with a green, permanant marker (that he found by Daddy's desk, he confessed). He had written every letter he knew how to write in his new library book "The Snowman" by Raymond Briggs. The one with no words, remember? He thought every book needed words, so he added his own. As I was swallowing the shock of him writing in his library book in green permanant marker, I noticed the sheets on his bed. He now has a palm-sized green drawing on his sheet. Wait. I take that back. It's not even HIS sheet! We were expecting company for this past weekend's church dedication service so I had put our BEST sheets on his bed because it doubles as our guest bed. So, my fury is starting to mount when I march him out of his room (Timothy was sleeping in there already and I didn't want to wake him with my reprimands, calm as they may have been, ha ha!) and back into ours when I about lost my lunch at the sight I saw in THERE! Stephen had taken that same green marker and TRACED Timothy's entire masterpiece PLUS added his own touches. He also drew a border around the entire thing which stretches as high as a four-year-old's arm can reach while standing on the bed. My eyes glanced to our bed and saw that same green "spot" decorating our sheet! His once red teddy bear is now an ugly brown because red and green make brown on that type of material.
I think that's enough description for now. I'm not even sure what else I'll find when I go back up later. This was all I could take for now. He found the marker in Christopher's room/the office, and I haven't even looked in there yet. There could be green marker absolutely everywhere upstairs. I just can't bear to check it out at the moment.
Those of you that are parents of children older than four that have gone through something similar in your own homes, how did you deal with this?! You can't tell me that your kids never destroyed anything, because if you do, I won't believe you. No matter how much you think you're going to raise your children to be respectful and not destroy property, each child has free will and curiosity and has probably done something to shock you at some point. I just don't know how to handle this right now. How did you all handle this?! Feel free to email me personally, too. I want to balance out the consequences here and just don't even know where to start! I tried getting Timothy to clean the wall this morning, but crayon on flat paint doesn't really come off that well. I had him wearing a glove and using a Mr. Clean eraser, but that didn't do much. I made him keep scrubbing away anyway, just to show him how hard it was going to be to clean and make him responsible for his actions. Now that it's been traced over by Stephen and that marker, though, I just don't know how to handle this. Any tried and true wisdom out there?! Help!!
13 comments:
Have you tried repainting your room and the other rooms green? Gotten some dye to change the colors of your sheets? Wow, I'm waiting for some other comments (forward me the emails!) just in case this happens some time at my house!
I think you're doing the right this making them scrub the walls, even if nothing comes off -- have 'em do it a few times every day so they realize what they've done.
About the library book, maybe come up with some no fun chores around the house that a 4-year-old can physically do (even if it may not be done to his mama's standards) like "washing" the floor with a sponge or rag, other stuff like that, while you play fun games or read books to the other two. Pay him for the chores, but make sure he turns around and puts that toward paying for the library book. While he may usually think doing chores is fun (why are they fun for little people and not for big people????), if you are doing REAL fun things with the others while he's working, that may help him see consequences, too. I'd probably refuse to let mine do any kind of coloring or even touching anything that makes any kinds of marks for a certain period of time, too, reminding him why but in a loving way. Oh, Mar, some day you really will laugh about this! I know my mom laughs about her big bobby pin (which she'll probably write about).
My parents say that their prayers are with you .. ! Dad says that he never had that problem when we were little (though I'm sure I added to our walls with pencil, only to erase it to avoid being caught, haha!) I really feel for you - I can only imagine how stressed out you must be. I have no advice, only prayer support. And at least one good thing has come out of all this - you'll have a great story to tell when Timothy and Stephen are all grown up!
In Christ,
Rob Freund
Taylor pretty much respected books, walls, other people's stuff, other people...
Laurel pretty much didn't.
She tore pages out of books and colored on wallpaper and clothes (she still writes on herself). After scrubbing the permanent ink with a Mr. Clean (didn't work that well) I noticed more drawing the next day. When I said, "Laurel, I told you not to write on the wall with pen!" She said, "I didn't! I used a key!" So that picture was carved into the wall.
When she was in time-out one day she drew a life-size portrait of herself on the wall in blue permanent marker and green crayon, "Your favorite colors, Mom!" We spent hours scrubbing and finally painted over it.
I don't remember the punishment. She continues to be artistic. I continue to get upset too easily. I guess not much has changed!
This probably wasn't too helpful. But we've all grown and been changed by it!
I have no words of advice, but I did find the story more entertaining that you did. I'm sure when you look back in ten years, you'll laugh too
O Martha, when I finished laughing at your situation, I prayed for you to enjoy your boys. (I didn't pray that you would have mre patience, since that often brings more adversity and it's obvious you had enough for one day)
Actually, I liked LindaSue's suggestons for discipline. Just don't be too hard on your little guys. Be thankful God has made them so creative, so aware of color (some kids can't even see) and essentially happy little boys. And boys they certainly are!
Regarding the bobby pin LindaSue referred to:
Gram and A. Sue wallpapered our new living room on Whitman Road when we moved from Orrville in 1942. A. Janet took a black crayon and went from one side of the living room door all the way around the room to the other side of the door, made a loop like a bobby pin and back around the room to the starting point. She did this without crossing over any of the first line and never had a break in the lines, either. A real accomplishment for a 3 year old being encouraged by her 2 year old sister who didn't have a crayon to try it herself. (And A. Janet didn't share her crayon with me either.) When all was done, A. Janet excitedly invited Gram to come and see her bobby pin. Needless to say, Gram was in tears. Gramp's comments? Did you ever tell her NOT to draw a bobby pin on the wall paper? Of course not, Gram replied. I NEVER dreamed she'd ever do something like that. No amount of wall paper cleaner, or scrubbing would remove the crayon. Gram, being a bit creative herself, strategically placed the furniture around the living room to hide most of the beautiful black bobby pin, which stayed there until the next time gram wall papered...a few years at least.
Enjoy your boys, Mar, they're only little once. (Then you get to have grandchildren and laugh at their antics). Love you all much. A. Peg
Ok, listen. Do NOT tell the boys this, but Fred and I have laughed about this and we have taken lots of pictures, too. It really is a very, very cute mural that Timothy started, and to see how Stephen enhanced it is pretty impressive, too. This doesn't mean that I'm not upset, but I'm also not overly furious and banning them from crayons and markers until they're twenty-five either. I wish I could really capture what they've done so that you can all see it, but the pictures just aren't coming out very well at all (we need you here, Allyson!). Now that the shock is over, I see the humor in it, and who knows. Maybe we'll just keep it on that wall. It was pretty empty up until now anyway. :)
so have a "growing boys' art wall" and have them add to it every year! That would be neat, seeing their styles change as they grow older.... :D
Oh No!!! I forgot about that stuff. We did have a dresser with brandon's name carved into it and many, many trees (Oscar's pet peeve). I wonder how artistic Edson will be.
OK, OK. I'm hoping we can see this next week when we come visit. We'll even sleep on the blotched green spotted sheets. In fact, maybe you could put more green (or other colors) blotches on it and make a patchwork-type pattern on it. Nobody would notice the difference. I wish you could see all the smiles and hear the laughter as people read this (maybe because it didn't happen to them to such an extent). Also, remember that Aunt Adena paints murals on other people's walls, and Aunt Kath has that same talent. Stephen and Timothy are just following family traditions.
We'd love to see it.
Just thought of something else. Why not give them more permanent markers (or fabric paints) and let them finish designing their sheets. You just might start a BIG business of kids designer sheets. Just think of what you could get from them on e-bay Actually, when I accidently splashed bleach on a new blue blouse, I was so upset I took the bleach pen, turned the splashes into clouds, and added more randomly on the front, back and sleeves. You cannot believe all the compliments I have received from my "cool" blouse. Then it happened again, with the same results. Someone actually asked where I found such an interesting pattern! Be creative! Love you.
A. Peg
Just got to thinnking that you could turn this into a money making project! Give the boys more permanent markers (or fabric paints) and have them finish designing their linens. Then post them on e-bay as original kids designer sheet sets. No two alike. Think of all the people (with more $$$ than we have) who want something different! Actually, I accidently splashed bleach on a new blue blouse. I was so upset to see big white splotches on the front, I took my bleach pen and made the splotches into clouds and added many more on the front, back and sleeves. You can't believe the many compliments I received on my creative blouse. Then it happened again. I decided to move my hanging clothes farther away from the washing machine. (I also created more clouds on the other blue blouse...funny, both blouses were blue. Wonder what I would have done with a green or red blouse! Have a good day and keep encouraging your boys to be creative. Love you all
ok Mar, the first time it wouldn't let me post my comments so I re-wrote them...not exactly the same. then I discovered they were already posted. Sorry about that. Love you. A. Peg
We've all been in similar situations as you. One of our kids, who will remain anonymous, picked his/her nose and made designs on the wall during nap time. At least we could clean off the wall. (Actually he/she cleaned it.) I continue to this day to have hiding spots for markers, scissors, and similar objects that have a tendency to destroy the home. I guess part of it is preventative medicine, having an unpredictable daughter with autism in the home. Let us know how the new paint job goes! Love ya, Annette
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