Megan LOVES art. Crayons, pencils, paints, glue, scissors, tape, anything. She loves it all. And she is really creative. She can take a popsicle box and turn it into a puppet faster than you could believe. I love that about her and I want to foster her interest.
BUT...
Ever since she was tiny, she has insisted on coloring and cutting things that shouldn't be colored or cut. Walls, her clothes, the couch, her face. Our usual consequence has been to ground her from using art supplies for a given period of time. It was frustrating when she was little, but now she's almost 8. You'd think she would know better, but last week she got in trouble and got grounded from art supplies for a week. She was really good all week, she didn't even beg or try to sneak them into her room or anything. So on Monday, she asked me if she could be ungrounded. We sat together on the couch and talked about why she had been in trouble. And what the expectations were. And she seemed to understand.
UNTIL...
While we were still talking, she picked up a pencil. And absently started doodling on the table. Right on the table. She didn't even realize what she was doing.
What is a mother supposed to do? I wanted to scream and yell and pull my hair out.
So, what would you do?
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
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Maybe you need to give her a tablet that she MUST USE for her doodles during her time outs, instead of banishing doodles. REDIRECTION instead of Banishment might give her something to think about? You could call it her TIMEOUT book and she only gets that ONE art supply during her timeout. No crayons, etc. Just a paper and pencil. She is still deprived, but not excluded. Perhaps it will make her think?
ReplyDeleteThis post SOOO reminds me of my kids! It just proves how hard habits are to break. It's not like she's a terrible child who WANTS to be bad! I think you're doing what's right, but maybe also try to reward her when she doesn't misbehave. We have little reward charts. I just try to notice extra good behavior and self-control. When they earn 10 stickers, they get to pick a prize from the prize box. It really helps keep things positive. I think the most important thing is to follow through with the rules and you're doing just that! Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteIt also reminds me of my kids lol. I am not sure Y they do the things they do but sometimes I feel like they hear us and really want to be good and then something takes over lol. I don't know. But I do know that someimes we just can't stop them. They have to stop themselves. Somehow LOL. I bought the kids one of those asiles at ikea and they both love it and that's the only place they can color or have glue ect. Maybe that will help? Hope it gets better. Hope you are doing well.
ReplyDeleteOh boy. I feel your pain. My little guy is the last of 4 and the first to doodle on the walls... every wall. My oldest also loves art supplies. We ended up getting her a journal, and a notebook and tiny little books with little pens that she can take with her. Alternatives to doodling where she shouldn't :) and something that can always be in a pocket or whatever. She has them stashed everywhere now!
ReplyDeleteI like Barb's advice about the timeout doodle book. Maybe you could get one of those little pocket-sized spiral notebooks (like writers use), and attach it to a lanyard or a caribeener clip....then she will always have it around her neck or clipped to her pants. When she has the urge to doodle, she has her little notebook and pen with her?
ReplyDeleteI realize it is not helpful, but I would scream and yell and pull my hair out! :)
ReplyDelete