The Writings in the Wall

Any parent knows, small kid's are just attracted to walls. We don't know what it is, but kid's just have to write on them, smear paint on them, anything from having a nice, clean wall! Then as parents we yell our lungs out, give the little artist's and writer's time out, and end up giving everybody a bad day from then on.

Well Mom's, Dad's ... let the kiddies have their wall! Get some poster paper, or any cardboard, make sure it's really big! Put 2 or 3 together on the wall.... Enough to cover at least half a wall. Then get 2 suction things with the hooks, and poke a hole in each corner of the cardboard and 'hang-up' the cardboard, the height is according the height of the child. .

Have the child stand on their tippy-toes, and raise 1 arm straight up... place the top of the cardboard an inch or so beyond that point. It doesn't need to cover the wall from top to bottom, and however wide across you feel is comfortable. Then let the kiddies have fun! Let them know, this is their wall.... Any other wall is Mommy and Daddy's, and to leave those alone.

With that much space, it should take them a few days before it's filled up enough to take down. With the attention span of a child, their not going to be at their wall for hour's and not leave it. They're scribble awhile, leave and do something else, then come back to the wall in a few hour's again then leave again.

Kid's also love to rip up paper... especially if it's something important to us parents. After the cardboard on the wall is all filled up, take it down, and let the kid's rip it up! It don't take much to entertain a small child! And replace that with a new 'wall' of cardboard. Then when they got it all ripped up in little pieces, bring in the trash-can and let them stand a way from it a couple feet or so, and have them toss the pieces into the can. They will think they're still playing, and you'll know they are cleanin' up the mess at the same time.

If they want to finger-paint, do the same thing, but for the child or children... take either/or a medium sized trash bag, cut 3 holes for the head, cut a hole in the bottom of the bag for head. And 2 on the sides for arms to cover the child's clothing. Or make a smock out of an old child's size sheet, making sure the clothing is covered. And that becomes the child's 'piant-smock' for every time he or she paints on their 'wall'.