midnightpoet

My mom thinks it's crazy, but I don't see the harm in it. I don't want to close in her imagination. She colors on the walls, the fridge, the floors. I love having my house covered with a 2-year-old's art.

Yesterday, she was coloring on the fridge, having a grand time, when she looks at me and smiles and says "I'm doing think draws, mama"

Yeah, she's awesome.

solosater

I think you are on the right track with the not stunting her artistic and "coloring outside the lines" traits and it's your home so do what you like.

However, she does need to be clear that it is not appropriate to color on other people’s things; we all need boundaries.

Somehow I think you would have made that clear, you seem like a really fun and still a very "Good" mom.

solosater

BTW, with my OCD, I probably break her little fingers if she tried that on my walls.

solosater has no spawn...

midnightpoet

hehe. Yes, I have set boundaries on where she is and is not allowed to "color outside the lines"...but I'll keep her away from your walls

lilalee

Midnightpoet, that is awesome! My mom was so strict, everything put away, nothing out, espically toys. I had a son at forty, and felt like you did. I gave my son a wall to do what ever, and we both enjoyed that wall! He is 23 now, and I've never covered that wall, and those memories are visible everyday and especially enjoyed even more so now! After all it's their house too!

midnightpoet

My mom owns the house I live in, and she yelled at Rune for coloring on her floor. I told her she's just making art...and she told me I had to make sure to clean it up. -sigh-

solosater

Yeah, that's probably for the best. I do threaten to break legs and fingers frequently but as yet I have done no such thing, just fantasized about it a time or two...

I used to nanny for a friend's boy from 6 weeks to 18 months and that’s one of the things I do, I yell, “I’ll break your legs!” to my dogs when they go outside and bark at the wall.

Kason would mock me, “Bake er LEGS!” I found that terribly cute, I never heard whether the family was thrilled or if they even noticed. Oh, well.

lilalee

Hey, soap and water, and sure a toddler would love doing that too!!

solosater

I was typing while you were posting.

You could get some really good thick paper and hang it on the whole wall so your mom/landlord won't have a cow and you can always save the drawing for the memories.

solosater

You could pick up a roll of butcher's paper but that may be coated; ask at the local art supply shop they'll know where you can get it or they may even have it.

midnightpoet

there isn't an art supply shop around here. It's very sad.

My mom decided to let me let Rune color on the walls. She's going to have to repaint when I move out anyway...no one else would want to live in a house as brightly colored as mine.

solosater

Well that's one way around it!

I still say look for the paper, it'd be a lot cheaper than ripping out the wall board...

I imagine you'll want to keep at least some of her art.

solosater

Look at these, it took 5 minutes and they're not even terribly expensive.

http://www.artsuppliesonline.com/catalog.cfm?cata_id=4830

http://www.artsuppliesonline.com/catalog.cfm?cata_id=9257

lilalee

You can get paper cheap at the grocery, some of the dollar stores, even in the junk mail. Most of the coloring materials, crayons, markers and such nowadays are washable. On my wall, just made a frame out of paint and that was his spot. Even 20 years ago paints and markers were washable. It's not a big deal. What's important is, mom is enjoying the art as much as her babe. Walls and paint can be replaced. Enjoy!!

midnightpoet

Solo, I have much of her art that IS on paper, that I am saving, but it is a great idea to put the paper on the walls. But I still feel that would limit her, instead of just coloring where ever the mood struck.

Lil, painting a frame on the wall is an awesome idea, but I can't paint lol. Also, that frame may box her in too much. I just wish that everybody could color/paint/draw where ever and whenever they want. I know that's weird and not realistic, but think of how beautiful the world would be if we covered it with everyone's imagination.

This all reminds me that I need to go out and buy new crayons for her...she's pretty rough on them.

Baldur

Baldur must stay out of this LOL
Carry on

lilalee

Midnight, What a beautiful world that would be!! She is so young, you will have lots of drawings that you will keep, and when she gets into elementery, it even gets better! I feel children need freedom in their own home, and I know we all set boundries, as we have to. We raise our children to let them go! Art tells a story, even at that age! What fun you two are having!! Get more crayons!!!

a4e4ka

Long time ago I had the same dilemma, so I went and got a huge piece of white plastic, non-breakable, smooth and easy-to wash. I drilled few holes and put some hooks on the wall. Whenever my kids wanted to paint the wall - they painted the "wall" hooked there. Whenever they wanted to draw on the floor - in turned into "floor". And you can always take pictures of the kid's art before you clean that plastic.

Dragon

You can get spray on chalk board as well. It's a spray on paint that becomes a chalk board when it dries. They can use chalk to draw and erase it when they want and it can be cleaned and painted over easily if needed.

BTW - the phrase 'solosater has no spawn' struck me as incredibly funny. It made me want to write a story on Think Write with that for a title. Hee hee!

solosater

solosater gives permission for a spawnless bio, have fun!

Years ago I had a lamp and we were redecorating my room and I wanted to keep the lamp but it was no longer the right color.
I kept saying I wanted it to be the color of a chalk board, a little deeper than Hunter and a little bluer than Forrest.
Long story short we bought chalk board paint, it was perfect!
We never did use it for a real chalk board.