Comments on: FAQ

By: Infant Bibliophile

Infant Bibliophile — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:59:00 +0000

Hi – fantastic site! Please consider getting all of your ideas into a book. 🙂

By: Allie

Allie — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:51:00 +0000

Sara,

He does eat the paint. ALL the time. I started by letting him explore things so lots of finger painting, I made sure that we did art in a place he could get messy, so he wasn't hearing " No no no " from me all the time.

I praised him for all the tiny victories like painting on the paper, not putting the brush in his mouth, and using the proper end of the marker. I try not to loose my cool, and I expect mess. If you know the mess will be a given you are much more relaxed.

For beginners thing like sponge painting , painting with water on plain paper and finger painting is great. Also buckle them in a high chair or booster until their hands are clean if you are worried about the rest of your house!

Good Luck!

By: Sara

Sara — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:12:00 +0000

I love love love this site and I’m sorta sad that I found it AFTER my oldest started preschool! I must admit that I am floored that you started doing these projects with your son when he was 15 months old. My youngest is almost 18 months and I have tried painting with him and his older brother (about to turn 3) and I end up getting frustrated because he’s trying to eat the paint or paint the walls and then it’s no fun for anyone! Can you share with me how you managed to get your son to actually participate and not eat the materials/rip up the papers?
Thanks!

By: Allie

Allie — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:28:00 +0000

Interesting that you asked this because my son has just started doing this. With me I use distraction right now, so when he says " Mama mama color" I ask him what color it is, or if he can show me how he can make a circle. Then praise him and usually he moves on.

With students I would often sit down and make the same craft, I would say "Thank you but I have my own, you can help me though." I would keep making mine and say things like "I'm going to use the blue crayon which one are you going to use?"

That would usually do the trick.

Hope that helps!

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:48:00 +0000

Thank you so much for the wonderful ideas. I found your site just in time, my 2-year son and I are have been just plain bored lately.

My question is how would you respond to "Mommy do it" (my son's insistence that I be the one to color or glue, etc.) He does seem genuinely content and interested at my efforts, but I was kinda hoping he'd be the one doing it. I've run across this quite a lot over the years as a nanny, and have never been sure how to best respond to this.

Thanks again!