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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Misusing art supplies
Baby Beluga 01:06 PM 09-24-2015
I have a 3 year old (turned 3 in July) who has been with me for 1 year. Overall he has been a very mild mannered, easy going and well behaved child. The past couple of months he has been increasingly challenging though.

We do some form of art every day. Last week DCB colored on the wall with marker while I was changing the diaper of another child.

Today, he painted on one of the chairs while I was changing a diaper of another child.

How would you handle this? He was immediately removed from the art table and cleaned up his mess. Now that this has happened a second time, what would you do? Speak to mom? Take away art privileges for a coupe of days? Let it go?

ETA: Diapers and potties are done prior to art. However, I have a little one who has recently started having a BM each day during this time period.
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Unregistered 01:11 PM 09-24-2015
I would take away art priveledges. I would tell him why when art time comes the next day.
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daycare 01:58 PM 09-24-2015
I would stop allowing the children to have access to these types of supplies when you can't provide supervision.

I would have art time at a time that you can give your full attention.

If you are having art time and you need to change a child and it can't wait until your regular scheduled bathroom break, I would make the child leave the table with you and give them a small puzzle to do while you changed the childs diaper.

I have a small little shelf of baskets by my diaper changing area for kids who need 100% supervision. they play with the nesting people usually and I am able to keep my eyes on them at all times.
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nothingwithoutjoy 05:19 PM 09-24-2015
Isn't that just the way? Mine poop just as I'm trying to put food on the table, or when I've got something cooking on the stove... Usually minutes after I've changed them. :-)

I'd try speaking to him very specifically about expectations as you leave the room: "I have to go change this diaper. I'll be right back. While I'm gone, you may draw--be sure to keep the marker on the paper!" If that's not enough (i.e. he does it again), I'd take him with you if you have to leave. Not in a punitive way, but saying something like "I need to be sure my furniture is safe from the paint. I want you to come with me while I change this diaper, and you can come back to the paint when we're finished." Give him another try, with reminders, soon, to see if he's figured it out yet. He will at some point.

I'd also consider--does he have enough access to materials? If markers/paints/whatever are still pretty new to him, he might be in the very beginning exploratory stage. Lots and lots of supervised exploration in a way he can really get messy might solve the problem (i.e. painting on huge paper, or outside, day after day).
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Laurel 06:02 PM 09-24-2015
Originally Posted by daycare:
I would stop allowing the children to have access to these types of supplies when you can't provide supervision.

I would have art time at a time that you can give your full attention.

If you are having art time and you need to change a child and it can't wait until your regular scheduled bathroom break, I would make the child leave the table with you and give them a small puzzle to do while you changed the childs diaper.

I have a small little shelf of baskets by my diaper changing area for kids who need 100% supervision. they play with the nesting people usually and I am able to keep my eyes on them at all times.


I would do the same!

Laurel
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littletots 10:02 AM 09-25-2015
Line of sight for that 3yr. Attention getting behavior for sure. BTW I had DCB would bm not 2mins into field trip. Oh, me.
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