are your kids allowed to color the walls of their room? - Page 5

[loraxc]

I haven't, but actually now I'm sort of considering it. The problem would be that she would cover the walls really fast and then probably want to do it again....too much work.

[SaraMum]

My son has never asked or attempted, he just colors or papers and books because that is what I have provided for him, I would probably let him though

[2xy]

Originally Posted by 1growingsprout

Just as a side thought, if its ok to draw on walls its not that short of a leap in a few years to defacing public property and vandalism.

That's kind of like saying that allowing toddlers/preschoolers to run around naked will lead to them becoming streakers as adults.

We've moved a ton due to being a military family once upon a time, and also have lived in military quarters for a few years. Nope, we didn't do our artwork on the walls. There's enough to do during a move without having to repaint walls. Also, I can't recall my kids ever trying to draw on the walls, nor asking to do so.

[AbbieB]

I had never even considered it until reading this thread. Now I want to have a room in the house where everyone can doodle on the walls! I think it might be kinda cool.

I get all of the "no" answers. I don't get the "defacing property" answers. How is it defacing property if it's yours? (It reminds me of this one hideous decorating idea my mother had when I was away at college. I came home to find the walls of the bathroom I used were textured and painted in the worst teal sponge paint technique. Now that was certainly defacement! Sorry mom, it's true.)

[sunnmama]

Originally Posted by VeezieTG

i also agree with the waste aspect of all that paper...

I don't get the "walls instead of paper" argument. It seems to me that covering a wall with butcher paper and replacing it once a year is more eco friendly than covering a wall with scribble and repainting it once a year. Paint isn't exactly eco-friendly.

And we can conserve paper without using the walls. My toddler usually draws and paints on unfolded cereal boxes before they are recycled (they can stand up to a lot of messy watercoloring). We can provide reusable surfaces like chalkboards and whiteboards, sliding glass doors and wet/dry erase markers, pavement and chalk, etc. It really isn't nec to use the walls, which will require repainting, in order to conserve paper.

[pink gal]

Nope

[SweetPotato]

she's never even thought to ask about drawing on the walls- so happily no (I wouldn't be cool with that) However, we do have a big set of those wall stickers/decals from Target- flowers and butterflies- that can be removed and restuck without damaging the paint. She put those around her bed and occasionally moves them around.

[kathymuggle]

Yes. Now I have to : as I am one of the few.....lol.

We own the house. They have their own rooms. It is drywall coverred with paint - not pine or anything. They are allowed in their rooms only.

I know it will be a pain to paint over, but I think the joy and freedom that comes from owning and designing your own space trumps the pain....

Kathy

ETA: I like the butcher paper idea. I simply am too disorganised to make it happen regularly - that and I live in a rural area -I cannot get "stuff" with ease the way those in more urban areas can.

[Alyantavid]

No. They can decorate freely though. My 7 year old's room was plastered with dirt bike pictures and posters until recently.

I do think I'll get him a cork board to contain some of that when his room is finished though.

[Yooper]

It has not come up here. However, if it did, I would discourage it. If dd was insistent, we could talk about ways to make it possible in her room or cover walls with paper, or something. But I DO think stickers are hard to get off sometimes and can damage the finish of the walls. We have 120 yo plaster walls and any sort of abuse would be discouraged just because fixing or replacing would be very costly and time consuming. I would have to guess that some time in the last 120 years, some kid probably scribbled on the walls somewhere

[SandraS]

Originally Posted by KweenKrunch

We don't allow the children to destroy our home.

Your kids would DESTROY your home if you let them doodle on a wall? Wowza! That would be terrible! Mine were perfectly capable on drawing on the walls in their appointed rooms and my house never fell down.

Eh, I'm of the philosophy that "In 10 years will it really matter". I don't have the inclination to stress myself over the small stuff (and painting on the walls is VERY small stuff).

[elmh23]

Originally Posted by SandraS

Your kids would DESTROY your home if you let them doodle on a wall? Wowza! That would be terrible! Mine were perfectly capable on drawing on the walls in their appointed rooms and my house never fell down.

You're right. I would not destroy the house in the sense that the walls will fall down. But it will make the home look tacky to MOST people.

Just because some people don't let THEIR kids write on THEIR walls, it's not something to get worked up about. No one is saying that you're a bad parent just because you don't consider it a big deal. People are different.

We do not allow coloring on the wall because dh and I think it looks tacky.

[kathymuggle]

Originally Posted by elmh23

We do not allow coloring on the wall because dh and I think it looks tacky.

You are right. I do think it looks tacky. That is why they can only do it in their room. It is their room, yk?

[northwoods1995]

No.

[limabean]

Nope. If we had chalkboard paint on a wall they'd be welcome to draw there, but not on regular painted walls. Call me uptight.

[elmh23]

Originally Posted by kathymuggle

You are right. I do think it looks tacky. That is why they can only do it in their room. It is their room, yk?

That's great for you. I still spend a lot of time in my kids room (they are 4 and 2.) I don't want to look at it.

[seaheroine]

No. We already have an easel, multiple bulletin boards, canvases, drawing pads, etc. Right now we're obviously facilitating artwork -- DD usually colors/paints in her highchair/outside/on the coffee table with a mat -- but later, she is welcome to use any art supplies to create anything...not on the walls or furniture, though.

DH and I both like to create artwork but we don't draw on the walls or furniture. If she was really interested, I'd probably buy some of the unfinished wood furniture pieces at Michaels or something...but we've worked hard to pay for our house and all family members need to respect that.

[Just Kate]

Nope, because I hate painting. I might consider letting them draw on the walls once they are old enough to paint over it themselves.

[GuildJenn]

It hasn't really come up in our house - we have an easel set up almost all the time and my son gravitates there.

I think if he really wanted to draw on the walls I would probably get chalkboard paint and paint one wall, or something similar - something that honours his desire to decorate while giving me a sense of, oh, I don't know - deliberateness? - about it. We are redecorating together though.

I know a mum who put clear plastic on her walls (Mac-tac? Something like that) and her kids draw with erasable markers on it, which is pretty neat.

[NYCVeg]

Nope. In the first place, we rent--but I wouldn't allow it if we owned either. Neither dh nor I can paint competently, and we're not spending money to hire to someone to paint just so dd can scribble on the walls. She's never tried, actually. It's "her room" but also "our house" and we need to maintain a moderate level of cleanliness for our own sanity.

We also don't allow coloring or stickers on furniture. Mostly b/c dd's is the most expensive furniture in the house (her grandparents bought it), and we'd like to use it through middle school at least.

If she were a teenager, I would allow it if she wanted to. At that point, she would be old enough to be able to paint herself (or pay to have the room painted) if necessary.