How can I stop my child drawing on the walls?

Question

He's 20 months old. I keep hiding pens but his 4 yr old brother keeps helping him whenever I'm out of the room.

Answer 1

have you ever considered getting one of those big black boards which you screw into the wall, that is alot of fun for the child and will save your walls. they are usually 4 metres long and high. easy to clean too.

Answer 2

Wow I am surprised at how abusive these people are!

When we moved in to our NEW house my kids started drawing on the walls about OH a week later! I really didn't mind becasue I knew we were going to paint But we did try everything to stop it and it got worse. I joked that we had abstract artist come in to decorate and I was going to mount frames on the walls were the wee ones drew but.....

Seriously- it is a little pricey BUT When my Kids started doing this my Best friend bought them the CRAYOLA pad and markers that only work on that paper. This has really helped a lot for my 4 year old.

You can hide all the pens perm markers pencils crayons all you want but we are talking about KIDS- they are sneaky little devils.

I do agree with the painting chalkboard on the wall in his room ( we are doing this in my sons room now!) - and chalk is easier to remove from just about any surface. and the easel idea is a great one too but be careful what type of crayons and markers you give them (make sure they are washable)
OH and have PLENTY of Mr Clean magic erasers on hand- just in case!!

I do spank my kids but only if it has to do with an act that would hinder their lives or one of those around them - i try not to spank for every little thing so I would not recommend beating your kids over this- time out yeah-

OH and also ask where they learned this idea - there was a cartoon out not too long ago where the kid drew on the wall and things came to life- or if you were painting/decorating they might have felt it was OK. Both of these were the reasons my kids where drawing ont he walls.
maybe they sawsomething on TV or another kid do it- MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO!
Talk to the wee ones you might learn something.

Good luck and remember its a phase- this too will pass- eventually. You never know you may have a PICASO on your hands!

Answer 3

It isn't the 20 month old that you have a problem with, it is the 4 year old!

It isn't uncommon for the elder sibling to encourage the younger one to do the 'naughty thing' to avoid getting the blame himself! Tell the older one that if you find that the younger one has been writing on the walls then you will take his pens away because this is the only place that they could have come from. I would also ask you to question yourself as to if it really is the younger one doing the scribbles - or the older one!

I have three children myself and now have four grandchildren (and another on the way). Kids are crafty little so-and-so's and will often try to get another in to trouble because they think it is fun! Ask yourself - who taught the younger one to draw on the walls in the first place?

Answer 4

Tell me about it!!! I kid you not i was going to ask the very same question and I have just finished painting my downstairs toilet from yesterdays marker pen fiasco!!!

It doesn't even seem to matter if you let them have play time with colours etc! Or how ever many you hide - they always find something either from you or your husband or your other child!

Mine starts nursery tomorrow and i am hoping he will get his messy play out of the way there and turn into the angelic naughty free child i have always wanted!! ha ha!!

You have my sympathies even if i cant manage any advice!

Answer 5

get a lockable box and lock the makers in their for a day everytime they draw on the walls. Then get them their very own drawing books so they have a special place to draw.
or,
explain that ice cream or what ever they like to do/eat cost money and don't let them have the thing for a week so you can "afford to fix the wall". This is a great lesson for them to learn about consequences

Answer 6

I had the same problem with my daughter when she was of the same age. She writes on the walls because she love to draw. What I did was bought her a lot of drawing materials. Not only drawing papers of different sizes but coloring materials as well of different kinds. That way she stops writing on the walls. It also encourage her to draw more and to like what she's doing. Just always have a trash can beside her. Try it. You have nothing to loose.

Answer 7

At that age you distract them with something else, he is too young to be disciplined and put on a naughty chair etc. Hide all crayons so the incident doesn't arise. Praise when doing good things and ignore/distract when he's doing other stuff. Never get into an arguement state with a chid, it's not fair, we are bigger.
Things to distract him from are the fire, TV, Video players, electric plugs etc.
You distract them by saying....look what I've got or look here and produce a toy or something, it's easy

Answer 8

Make him and your other child clean their mess if their coloring on the walls. Get those Mr Clean Magic Erasers. They work great on taking anything off the walls, including pen. My son used to take his crayons to the walls and color everywhere until I made him clean everything up. Now he knows he can only color on paper. Dont get all mad when he does mark up the walls, but make it into a game for them to clean it up. See who can clean up faster.

Answer 9

Get a large piece of paper or cardboard and tape it to one wall in the room that he is coloring on the wall and let him know that this is his wall to decorate any way he choose but he has to stay on that big paper. This will give him the freedom to express himself for you as he feels he needs to show you and everyone who enters his home what he can do.

Answer 10

Why not buy him an easel or a blackboard and let him do it on there? Try and explain to him that he can draw to his hearts content on there but not on the walls. I would also explain this to your mischeivous 4 year old too!!! Failing that, your gonna have to have a special container for pens and put them way out of reach of both children, don't lem them see where you put them! I think you have a pair of budding grafitti artists on your hands!!!:0))