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[quote=Anonymous]I'm not a disciplinarian at all but I definitely intervened early and strongly when my kid started writing/drawing on anything other than a piece of paper. She has never drawn on a wall but that's because we never let it get that far. When her drawing on a table started getting messy (so crayons/markers/etc getting onto the table surface, or walking around with a marker and getting ink on fabrics, etc.) I gently explained that we have to be thoughtful with drawing materials. I started training her to clean up her drawing space at 2, using a small spray bottle and a little towel. Of course she was not good at it at 2 and I did 99% of the actual cleaning. But this helped her learn that getting ink or pencil marks on other things meant having to clean up, and eventually she just got better at staying more tidy.

Now if she makes a mess she cleans it up herself or lets me know so we can clean it up together. She'd never just go draw on a wall because it's very ingrained in her that art goes on paper, or her easel, or a designated place, not on walls or furniture. I remember one time a few months ago when she was drawing in her room (she has a little art table in there and a cart with supplies that I trust her with) and she got a small bit of marker on her bedspread. She'd been drawing one of her stuffed animals and had moved from the table to the bed to get a better angle or something. She came and told me, apologized, and asked if I could help her fix the bedspread. She's 4. I think it's because I've balanced trusting her with this responsibility with lots of guidance on how to handle it.

So I wouldn't yell or admonish my kid if she drew on a wall at a friend's house, but I also wouldn't say nothing to her. I'd sit down and talk through what made her decide to do that, and explain why that was inappropriate and really inconvenient for our friend. I might not do all of this at the friend's house, though -- would depend on the situation. But yes, I'd do something. It just wouldn't necessarily be the kind of harsh discipline that some people might want or expect because I don't think that's the most effective way to teach children.[/quote]

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