My son draws on everything! Help! What do I do?

Question

My son Shawn Wyatt (pictured in my photo) is a wonderful child, he has never given us a single problem in his life! But the past few weeks he has been drawing on every surface he can get at! Being an expert climber he has figured out how to get to all of our pens which are up on high shelves...I can't watch him 24/7 because I work from home and I wouldn't get any work done. He goes to pre-school 3 days a week, and even there he draws on everything. I don't know what to do, I've spent the last weeks scrubbing walls and floors. Its getting tiring! Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Hes 3 years old

Answer 1

We had this problem with our 2 year old and it helped when I started giving him an actual art time. He didn't feel the need to get the pens when I was giving them to him. At the end of the time I alloted, I would pick up all the stuff amd tell him, art time was over. Also, for cleaning walls, floor, furniture, etc...invest in some magic erasers.

Answer 2

Set up a special spot for him either in his room or near your work area. You can get rolls of paper and tack it to the walls. Explain to him that this is the only place that he is allowed to draw on the walls. If he breaks the rules he isn't allowed to draw and has to go into time out.

Also, put everything up in a completely different spot or decorative box that he wouldn't think to look in. This includes taking his crayons and markers away too. You can make a chart or something and track the days that he is good. For each day that he doesn't draw on anything that he isn't suppose to he gets a new color back. You might want to try letting him help you clean up the mess. I realize he is only three, but there is no time like the present to teach him to clean up after himself....trust me I wish I would have started that sooner.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

Awe, my son, who is 3 did that from time to time, it's nice to know I'm not alone. First we made him clean up the crayon and pen marks from all the walls and told him that was very naughty. Then we gave him books that were okay to color in and consequences if he colored anywhere other than those books or pads of paper without asking first. The consequence was a swat on the butt. Three swats and about four months later and I haven't found any new coloring on my walls, tables, etc. If you don't spank your kid often, when you do it settles in deep and they don't do the bad thing again. Either that or he's gotten really good at cleaning marks off the walls before I find them. If you are adament about not spanking, you could just put the pens into a locked drawer or filing cabinet and give him a set of crayons. Every time you find colors on the wall, lock up the crayons, take away his coloring books, and send him to his room.

However, if he is continually doing this at pre-school I would suggest finding a new pre-school that actually keeps an eye on the kids and punishes them when they do something bad. When kids who are three are punished in front of their peers they become embarassed and don't want to do it again and usually they learn their lesson after 2 or 3 times.

Answer 4

My son started this. To combat it, I put our pens and pencils in a childproofed drawer. I also got washable crayons and the markers that only work on special paper. The paper is expensive, but I'd rather buy that than have ruined furniture. I have time almost every day for him to draw. I put him in a chair and tape the paper down for him. It really seems to get that desire to draw on inappropriate things out of him. I keep all the "Drawing things" in a box he made with his dad and only bring it out when it is time. Afterward, he puts everything back in the box.
BTW, if he is doing that at pre-school, they may not be supervising him well enough. My son's school doesn't allow them to walk around with crayons. They only particiate in organized play.
Good luck and best wishes.

Answer 5

My daughters both went through this. Although we did have plenty of art time during the day, as soon as my back was turned there were lovely pictures on the kitchen floor,walls,cupboards etc.
I was getting really frustrated that I was always scrubbing everything. So instead of getting upset and putting them in timeout or going off about it. I'd hand them a sponge and some paper towels, I'd spray the drawing and make them clean it off. They soon learnt that if they did draw on anything they'd be the ones to clean it off. So they went back to drawing on paper!!!
Obviously I'd clean it properly after them. But they learnt that drawing over everything meant work for them, because they had to clean it.
It did sorta back fire on me though, because they loved cleaning so started to draw on the walls to be able to clean it :) Weirdo children

PS. Your son is absolutely gorgeous!!!!!

Answer 6

Set up an area with pens, pencils, crayons and such where he can draw without getting yelled at - provide paper of all kinds, even a grocery bag is fun to draw on. You can then show him that drawing is fun when it is done right but not when he draws on everything.

Answer 7

Crayola makes these Color Wonder Markers that only mark on specific paper. They are wonderful! Our son Ben used to draw on carpet, walls, everything! We got him these and they are like magic! He still feels like he can draw all over the place and we get piece of mind knowing it only works on the paper.

Answer 8

So you have a little artist on your hands? lol
He is 3 years old and is excited that he can figure out how to draw different shapes. I would explain to him that if he draws on paper that you provide for him, he can hang it up to display, send it to relatives, or make him a folder to put his art projects in. If he draws on the walls, floor, ect. then you have to wash it off and he wont be able to see it anymore or Grandma, (or whoever he likes to send pictures to) won't be able to see it.
Good luck with your little artist.

Answer 9

punish him put him in the corner for 3 minutes since he's 3 u go by the childs age or u spank him. Lock up ur pens and markers.

Answer 10

Get him a Magna Doodle board. Those boards that draw with a magnet then you can easily erase it. That'll give him something to draw on. If he uses that pen to draw on something nothing will happen.