I saw you give a demonstration once at the Cumberland County Civic Center in regards to creative ways to protect your walls from small artists, who as you so comically stated “see every wall in your home as a giant canvas.” I wish I had taken notes during your demonstration, however, at that time I was one of those “oh, my child would never do that” believers. Could you give me written instructions on how best to protect my walls?
Signed,
A Marked Up Mom
Dear Marked Up Mom,
I have recently had several requests for this information. It’s amazing what in-home issues surface when there are four feet of snow on the ground.
Because children do view every wall as a giant canvas, it is important to get creative in establishing appropriate spaces for their creative endeavors. Rather than hanging a slate chalkboard, which because of its weight can become very dangerous should it ever fall, I recommend using chalkboard paint manufactured by the folks at Crayola. I personally like liquid paint as opposed to spray paints, especially for indoor use.
Here are some suggested spaces to paint a chalkboard that will not only teach your child about boundaries, but will also teach them how to come up with creative solutions.
• Paint a chalkboard along the wall directly above the child’s bed. Not only will this give the child a practical space to express his or her creativity, it also provides you a great space to write on as you are reading to or teaching your child a nighttime lesson. Additionally, you can write a nice note of love for your child to see upon waking up, whether it be in the middle of the night or in the morning. Given that almost every child has written on the wall by their bed, this gives you a perfect opportunity to be creative, while putting your child in a better position to be successful.
• You can also create an entire art wall for your children and their friends. Because this chalkboard paint requires no special preparations, it can easily be applied anywhere in your home. Another nice feature is that, as the need arises, the paint can be lightly sanded and painted over.
Here are some creative uses for mom and dad.
• Hang a four-season’s wreath and paint the center as a chalkboard so you can easily leave messages.
• Paint a chalkboard area on your workbench to write down measurements or notes. This will work much better than using a broken pencil or a pen in cold, damp weather.
• Paint a chalkboard somewhere in your furnace room, and write down the date of its last servicing, etc.
And no, I’m not going to do any chalking up jokes ...
Kaile Warren of Windham is CEO/Founder of the national handyman franchise Rent-A-Husband. Kaile is also a national home improvement expert for the CBS Early Show, HGTV and Parade Magazine and appears locally on WCSH’s 207. When not on the road or working he spends his time teaching his newly adopted white shepherd, Maintenance, how-to ... Send your questions for Kaile to editor@themaineswitch.com.