O/T-- What to do with my Crazy Crafting Little Man??

[ekatiel]

Hi Guys-- This is totally off topic, but I was wondering if any of you have kids who "decorate" their rooms with a TON of paper creations (I don't know anybody else IRL who has a kid like this)?? This is DS6's favorite pastime, and I'm afriad it's becoming a fire hazard (not to mention the mess!). Anyhow, if you've got creative kids like this, what do you do? I hate to squelch his creativity, but it's getting out of control. Here's two pics of his room today. He's currently got it "decorated" as an island.

The yellow papers are "sand". The pipe cleaners are "trees". The cylinder is a drum, and there's an elephant behind the drum.

The red and blue paper is a "waterfall when the sun is rising" (his words).

What do I do with my crazy creative little man? We make him clean up all his creations about once a month (we keep any papers that can be used again), so this is really only about 3 weeks worth of "creating". There is more, pretty much all his walls are covered. He cries everytime we tell him he has to clean it up . Any advice on how to direct his creative energy in a way that's not a fire hazard??! --Katie

 

[Marionnette]

No curtains, white walls and tan carpet. Heck, I'd be decortating in whatever way I could just to add some color!

Maybe paint part of a wall with chalkboard paint? Buy a couple of play rugs with themes that appeal to him (jungle, farm, cityscape, etc.) Frame and hang a few posters from his favorite movies.

It looks like he enjoys his living space but he wants it to be more interactive and colorful.

 

[ekatiel]

No curtains, white walls and tan carpet. Heck, I'd be decortating in whatever way I could just to add some color!

Maybe paint part of a wall with chalkboard paint? Buy a couple of play rugs with themes that appeal to him (jungle, farm, cityscape, etc.) Frame and hang a few posters from his favorite movies.

It looks like he enjoys his living space but he wants it to be more interactive and colorful.

OK, BACK OFF, lady. THAT WAS NOT NICE, AND I DON'T GET UPSET EASILY. In case you didn't notice, my child has a CASTLE loft bed with "How to Train Your Dragon" curtains underneath it for a play area. We just moved into the house last summer, and there were other decorating proirities to deal with before then, so we haven't painted yet. Here's a pic of his room "cleaned".

And here's his room in the old house (which he also decorated with a bazillion paper decorations)-- It's the room on the top right of the scrapbook page:

So, instead of bashing my decorating, if you have any suggestions on how to better channel my child's creativity, you are welcome to respond. Otherwise, stay out of my thread. --Katie

 

[Hannathy]

IMO let him do what he wants with his room! Let him enjoy it. It is his room who cares other than him what it looks like. so you like a sterile room he doesn't! when it gets to messy for you close the door. I think it is absolutely wonderful and I would be encouraging every bit of that imagination and creativity I could. He sound like he has a future in writing or the theater or the arts. Love it, embrace it and in doing so you will be telling him how much you love what he cares about.


I think it is so cute and heck I would love if either of my kids room was that neat but it is their room and their sanctuary not mine.

Enjoy it he won't be little long and what he is doing is great.

 

[Marionnette]

OK, BACK OFF, lady. THAT WAS NOT NICE, AND I DON'T GET UPSET EASILY. In case you didn't notice, my child has a CASTLE loft bed with "How to Train Your Dragon" curtains underneath it for a play area. We just moved into the house last summer, and there were other decorating proirities to deal with before then, so we haven't painted yet. Here's a pic of his room "cleaned".
So, instead of bashing my decorating, if you have any suggestions on how to better channel my child's creativity, you are welcome to respond. Otherwise, stay out of my thread. --Katie

Woa!

I wasn't bashing your decorating skills. It just looks like someone moved into a brand new home and hasn't decorated yet! Take a moment and breathe for Pete's Sake!

Forget what I said and post a few more of his creations for all of us to marvel at. He's a very busy little boy with a great imagination.

 

[JeffreyY]

We always took pictures of our kids creations. So Maybe he could keep the stuff up for 3 or 4 weeks then you could take pictures and he can take it down and start over again. You could print the pictures for him or run them on the computer so he could still have them.

They are very cute.

 

[disney<333]

Very cute! I'm an art teacher so I love to see things like this. My kids did a few things like this when they were younger, too. I can see how it can get hazardous though! Buy some creative things at Micheal's. They have some cheap things there that only cost a dollar and will channel his inner creativity. You can get things for him like foam door hangers too decorate with glitter glue and foamies. (foam stickers!) You can also get things like little boxes and picture frames and get him colors to paint with that will match his room. You can get a How To Train Your Pet Dragon coloring back and he could color a few pictures and then you can get a frame to frame them in his room. All of these a range from 1-4$ and they have coupons in the Sunday paper for 40% any item.
It will help him be creative and he can still help in decorating his room but not be hazardous.

 

[SandrA9810]

Well I don't think she was trying to bash you. And it's easy to tell the bed is very creative... but the rest of the room does look a bit drab at the moment. I'm not a fan of white walls either, but it's hard to paint apartments when it's not allowed.

It seems he gets his creative side from you with the pictures posted in the second post, that is if you did those yourself. I do have to agree with the first response. Have chalkboard walls might be your answer. Easy to wash off.

 

[marlynnp]

No curtains, white walls and tan carpet. Heck, I'd be decortating in whatever way I could just to add some color!

Maybe paint part of a wall with chalkboard paint? Buy a couple of play rugs with themes that appeal to him (jungle, farm, cityscape, etc.) Frame and hang a few posters from his favorite movies.

It looks like he enjoys his living space but he wants it to be more interactive and colorful.

THIS

Chalkboard paint is great!
And they also make magnetic paint. You paint the wall with it first and then cover with a coat of any color of regular paint. Then you could get him a bunch of fun magnets so he can 'hang up' his artwork too!

Does he play with little cars and trains, etc. - I'd get him one of those little area rugs with the little roads and things on them.

** The point in 'decorating' this way is to channel his creativity to outlets that won't make a bunch of piles of paper.

 

[marlynnp]

Oh, and Katie.

If you post on a public forum, everyone can comment.

If you want to post and control who responds to you, you need to start a blog and monitor the comments.

 

[mrsklamc]

No curtains, white walls and tan carpet. Heck, I'd be decortating in whatever way I could just to add some color!

Maybe paint part of a wall with chalkboard paint? Buy a couple of play rugs with themes that appeal to him (jungle, farm, cityscape, etc.) Frame and hang a few posters from his favorite movies.

It looks like he enjoys his living space but he wants it to be more interactive and colorful.

There's nothing 'NOT NICE' in this post and it's 100% accurate. No one was attacking you. Clearly your son is visually stimulated and wants some more color and personality in his room.

 

[csharpwv]

I agree with the other posters who said that there was nothing to take offense at.

I am the type of person that has to have 'things' colorful things - textured things - creative things - fun things - serious things - childish things - adult things - big things - small things - things of no monetary value whatsoever - things of historic value - things of personal value - things that are worth more than I make in a day or two (or three or four!).

Your child is using paper to make his space into a creative place that stimulates his imagination - his creativity - and his mind.

If you want your child to stop decorating his own room, help him decorate it, use colors - make posters - allow his creativity to be what it is and go where it will.

the chalk boards are a great idea - however being a person that sneezes just getting close to a chalkboard, I would caution you to be careful of using chalkboards with kids with allergies or breathing problems.

You might also consider getting him an easel with roll paper. That way he won't use single sheets of paper and tape/glue whatever - he can make big works of art!

Also get him legos - building blocks - tinker toys - things that little hands can use to build an imaginary world all their own.

Don't take offense - the previous poster was just pointing out that his room wasn't very colorful, creative - or imaginative - with the exception of the really awesome bed!!!!

In the grand scheme of life - any good parent's desire is to be a good parent. You have the desire to make your child's life better - or you wouldn't be posting! Thanks for assuring that your child has a safe and loving place to grow up - and more importantly - be a kid!

Good luck bringing your son's room to life - with his art work - and your love!

 

[pintamino]

OK, BACK OFF, lady. THAT WAS NOT NICE, AND I DON'T GET UPSET EASILY.

No reason to overreact like that. There were some great suggestions in that post.

So, instead of bashing my decorating, if you have any suggestions on how to better channel my child's creativity, you are welcome to respond. Otherwise, stay out of my thread. --Katie

Wait, seriously? More or less a public forum (privately owned), but as long as the owners aren't moderating comments, it's not your place to do so and anybody can feel free to make any comments they want.


Maybe consider putting up a whiteboard. I've seen some DIY's where you can using bath siding to make a big one on the wall. He could draw some sunsets and different things on there? In my apartment I have a vinyl Eiffel tower, they might have something similar that's removable for kids that you could put at his level as well.

 

[Gigi22]

Is there an art class available in your area that would appeal to your son? An art class would allow him to explore more media too.

 

[Cruise]

So, instead of bashing my decorating, if you have any suggestions on how to better channel my child's creativity, you are welcome to respond. Otherwise, stay out of my thread. --Katie

Wait, seriously? More or less a public forum (privately owned), but as long as the owners aren't moderating comments, it's not your place to do so and anybody can feel free to make any comments they want.

Not only that, but now you've probably cut the suggestions you were going to get into less than half of what they would have been. Who's going to want to add suggestions if they think you're just going to go off on them for trying to help? There wasn't anything offensive about the post that upset you - she was just trying to point out what she perceived to be the thing to change in order to move his creativity more in a direction that you could both be happy with.

I agree with the suggestion of chalkboard paint on one wall. If you'd like, you can also buy some unfinished molding to frame out the paint to make it look like one big chalkboard on the wall. Easy enough to remove the frame and repaint the wall for resale purposes if necessary.

There is also a magnetic paint available that you could use on another section of wall. Magnets could easily take the place of some of the things he hangs from the wall. You could also buy small magnets or magnet paper to let him create on as well which can then be moved around on the wall.

As far as the carpet suggestion goes, there's a huge selection online with various themes - jungle, railroad, etc. The carpet can act as a backdrop and add in appropriate toys that he can move around to change the scenario.

 

[PHXscuba]

BTW, the magnetic paint totally bombed for us. I had visions of my pre-teen son being able to put up posters to do some non-permanent decorating, but three coats of the special paint ($$) on one wall didn't hold much. The small magnets barely held themselves up, much less anything bigger than a scrap of paper. The hefty magnets I bought slid right down the wall. I think pushpins and little spackling occasionally would have been a better plan.

For my younger DS6, who loves to "paper" his room much like the OP, I have given up some creative control, but we also got him a magnetic bulletin board for Christmas for him to hang up things he likes or creates. If you wanted something bigger you could get a big piece of thin metal and mount it (might look good with the castle/dragon motif).

PHXscuba

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I have a child like that, although he's 11 now. He loves to build "contraptions" and make tents and crafts. He has a portfolio that he uses for his paper crafts. He has a variety of throw blankets, pillows, stuffed animals and a beanbag chair in his room to build with (and he sometimes "borrows" them from other rooms).

He will also build intricate cities, contraptions, and other scenarios out of Legos, wooden blocks, a marble run, Little People (when he was younger), and Geotrax. When we buy him toys we buy them geared toward open-ended play. We don't buy Lego models because he wants to make up his own things, same with race tracks and k'nex. Anything he can build with we get things that use his creativity. He likes working with wood as well, but has to follow blueprints for that and Snap Circuits so he has learned to follow a plan, he just prefers his own plans.

So I guess my advice would be to buy your son toys geared toward open-ended play. And give him plenty of blankets, sheets and clothespins to build tents with. Those cushiony tiles that go together like puzzle pieces might be good for him to use on the floor, too, so he could make it an "island" or "water" or whatever he is pretending that day. When he has an idea like that encourage him to tell you about it while you write it down, or make up a story around the idea for you to write down.

 

[surfergirl602]

Ummm wow, op... over react much???

he's a creative kid and he's using his imagination for playing! I would encourage him actually! Maybe he'll be an artist someday, or a designer.

I used to do that when I was a kid. I would tape seasonal themes on my wall. Like for winter, I made snow, a frozen pond with people iceskating on it. A house with smoke coming out of the chimney. My mother encouraged me.

 

[MM27]

No curtains, white walls and tan carpet. Heck, I'd be decortating in whatever way I could just to add some color!

Maybe paint part of a wall with chalkboard paint? Buy a couple of play rugs with themes that appeal to him (jungle, farm, cityscape, etc.) Frame and hang a few posters from his favorite movies.

It looks like he enjoys his living space but he wants it to be more interactive and colorful.

This
Even with the bed, the room looks bare and he's making it a colorful place himself. Why mess with that? Let him be creative.

OK, BACK OFF, lady. THAT WAS NOT NICE, AND I DON'T GET UPSET EASILY.
So, instead of bashing my decorating, if you have any suggestions on how to better channel my child's creativity, you are welcome to respond. Otherwise, stay out of my thread. --Katie

Seriously? You post on a public message board and expect that people aren't going to respond? She wasn't bashing your decorating, she was saying that it looks like he wants some color in his room, so why not help him out a bit.

 

[disneymom3]

I guess I don't get the problem. I think the way he is "decorating" it is awesome. I am one who would rather deal with the mess and encourage the creativty of it though. My DH is not like that, so I understand it can be hard. My boys do this kind of thing as well as major projects such as forts, enormous constructions of blocks and legos etc. I figure if they can get to their beds and I don't break my neck walking around in there, it's a good, safe and fun way to encourage their imaginations.

And if you really are concerned about fire, I don't think you need to be. It's just paper. I'm assuming you don't allow any accelerant in there.

Love the size of his bedroom! That's really nice.