Adventures with Toddler Coloring

My son asked to color. So I taped the paper to the table to prevent it from moving around while he scribbles. He immediately tries to tear the paper which means I need to explain that he needs to leave the paper alone if he wants to color. His response? A simple “Ya!”. I proceed to get crayons for him and he makes two marks on the paper and throws the crayon. Sigh.

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“Are you done coloring?” His response is the scream while shaking his head no, grabbing another crayon and scribbling on the paper more. Repeat 10 times and sprinkle with a minimum of 20 “sit on your chair” commands and he finally says he’s done. Let the clean up begin! We start putting the crayons away while he says “bye-bye” to them. When the last crayon is put away, he looks at me and immediately throws a tantrum like he wants to continue coloring. This is a moment where I, as the parent, need to set a boundary and use it to teach.“If you say you are done, then you can’t be upset when we clean up. We said bye-bye to the crayons and they went away.” I hold him and reassure him in a calm voice that we can color again later. By sticking to my statement that once he says he’s done and we clean up that the crayons don’t come back out I am teaching him about boundaries and about how to deal with his temper and emotions. The trick is to stay calm myself so he picks up on that and calms himself.

After about 30 seconds of holding him, he sees an apple. “Aapp-le”. He takes one bite, puts it down and moves on. I look at the clock and realize all of this took place in about 15 minutes. Deep breath. I get the apple, wrap it up to save for later, and join him in the next activity…Sanity Tips and Tricks: BREATH and laugh with your children. It’s important not to let yourself get worked up when they are going crazy! They pick on up your stress and behavior will only get worse. I find that just laughing along with them and cleaning up whatever mess is created is a lot easier than getting worried about mess! Kids, especially toddlers, will make a mess and that is ok. They are growing and learning. While having fun with them, you do need to stay tough and true to your principles. Don’t give in and find the teachable moments in daily life.

What’s your favorite memory from coloring and/or crafting with your kids? And how do you stay sane during the craziness?