When was the last time you saw a child drawing not on paper, but on wallpaper, furniture or even the floor? Most parents clutch their heads when imagining a renovation, but it’s worth looking at it differently.
Children's scribbling in the wrong places is not just a prank. It's an attempt to say: "I live here!"
Adults often create ideal interiors, where everything is subject to logic and order, but for a child such a world seems alien and cold.
By leaving marks on the walls, he tries to make the space “his own”, to show creativity where he feels limitations.
Interestingly, many families who allow children to draw in specially designated areas notice amazing changes: the kids become calmer, more self-confident, and their imagination develops faster.
Try to set aside a corner of the room for such experiments - for example, put up white wallpaper or install a board. Not only will you save the repair, but you will also help your child feel that his world is important to you.
And who knows, perhaps among these lines and spots you will find the first masterpiece of the future artist.
Drawing on the walls is also a way to explore boundaries. The child tests: "What will happen if I do this? Will my actions be accepted?"
When parents are too strict about not allowing the walls to get dirty, the child may feel that his creativity is not appreciated.
But if you find a compromise, it will be a lesson in respect for rules and other people's things. For example, you can explain: "You can't touch the walls in the living room, but your corner in the bedroom is your territory."
This way, the child learns to distinguish personal space from public space, and at the same time understands that his opinion is taken into account.
Interestingly, such drawings often reflect stages of development. At two years old, these are chaotic lines, at four, attempts to depict people and houses, at six, complex plots with dragons and princesses.
The wall becomes a “growth diary,” which parents, unfortunately, often paint over during renovations.
But you can preserve the memory of these stages: take pictures of the graffiti and then create a collage or digital album.
Not only is this a touching family artifact, but it is also a way to show your child that their progress is important.
Another non-obvious advantage is the development of motor skills. Drawing on a vertical surface engages the muscles of the arms and shoulders, which is more useful than working with a sheet of paper on a table.
In addition, large formats encourage courage: the child is not afraid to make a mistake, because there are no boundaries to the “correct” drawing.
Over time, this can develop into confidence in other areas, such as studying or communicating.
But what if your child continues to draw outside of the permitted areas? Instead of punishment, try redirecting their energy.
Buy a roll of cheap wallpaper and lay it on the floor for "giant pictures," use chalk paint on the refrigerator door, or install a cork board where you can pin pictures.
The main thing is to make it clear that creativity is welcome, but within certain limits. And don't forget to praise even abstract masterpieces.
For a child, it is not the result that is important, but the process and your reaction. Perhaps, years from now, he will thank you for not forbidding him to “change” the walls, but for giving him the freedom to express himself.
Author: Igor Zur