Wait, Let Me Rephrase That
A few things I’ve said to the kids that didn’t come out right the first time:
“Toilet paper isn’t a toy…um…toilet paper isn’t for playing with.”
“Hammers aren’t for hitting…um…hammers aren’t for hitting PEOPLE.”
Me: Markers are for drawing on paper, not yourself. Why did you do that?
4yo Drake: To make myself pretty.
Me: Drawing on yourself doesn’t make you pretty.
Drake: But, Mom, you draw on yourself with blush and eyeliner.
Me: Um, well, you’re right. But those are for the face. Markers are still for paper. PAPER.
Added fifteen minutes later, when I went to check on strange noises coming from the TV room.
Me: Drake, what are you doing?
Drake: Mom, NOTHING! (Points to the cars lined up in front of the VCR.) It’s the CARS. They’re telling the orange one to come out. She shouldn’t be in there.
Me: (Deep breath) The cars are right. She shouldn’t be in the VCR. She could break it, or get lost. (Pointing at one of the cars) Guido, please tell the orange car to come out.
April 4th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Your post made me laugh hard today.
When my youngest, now 11, was around 3 or 4 she was constantly drawing on herself with any writing implement she could find. Even after repeated “markers/pens/crayons/chalk are for drawing on things *other* than human skin”, she would still sneak in a drawing or two when we weren’t looking. One afternoon, catching a gilmpse of Lenny Kravitz in some magazine, she noted all of his tattoos and said - “Oh boy. Is he ever going to be in trouble when his mother sees how he’s drawn all over himself!”
Rather than take Lenny as a cautionary tale though, I think she just took more inspriation from him.
Wonderful, entertaining blog.