To not want 2YO having felt tip pens

If you want to do art and crafts, or baking or the like with little ones, then you do it with them. That means sitting down and doing the activity, not rushing off to the loo or trying to fit in a quick household chore if you are anxious about anything getting spilled or messy.

Just accept that you find this type of play difficult.

I found rough and tumble hard and although I tried to be laid back about it, it showed! My voice started to get tense and soon enough the kids picked up on it and after a while started to find it funny🙄.

It's difficult to be chilled when we are doing something we aren't completely comfortable with, and it sounds like you enjoy your house a certain way and rather it stayed that way. If that's the case then maybe just ask your MIL if your child can use the pens at hers for a while longer.

Pens and scissors were only used with supervision and kept inaccessible to my kids until they were much older.

Far worse things to get hands on than washable felt tip pens.

After an after party play date where I offered to take a few 6yos until their parents came to get them I found secret messages and maps on my walls written with invisible pens. I actually burst out laughing as they were quite clever. I had a word with my dd who said she thought it would be ok as I could only see it with the special light 😝

If you are so precious about you show home why did you bother to have a child ? They are messy, they break things, they make a mess. God help you when you have a teenager. TBH i feel sorry for your little one.

It’s up to you. The crayola ones are washable. I used to let mine use them in the high chair at the table or on the tray so they are contained. Then keep them up high. It was lids in mouths that used to frighten me but that’s why they were always supervised.

YABU. Give your child a desk/table to draw at and put some newspaper down if you are really worried about a bit if pen missing the mark.

Its like paint... you use them under supervision somewhere they can't destroy things. Like the garden.

Cool. They can have the felt tips round your MIL's house then

Leave them at MIL's house - win win everybody happy.

I think this definitely comes down to preference, but personally I see nothing wrong with MIL getting them so that you can used them supervised.

I've left my DD alone with art supplies since she was quite young (felt tips for 2nd birthday) and never had a mishap with drawing on anything she shouldn't (although I also wouldn't have been bothered if we had). She's 4 now and has an "arts and crafts station" in our living room where she can access felt tips, crayons, glue, glitter, stickers, scissors, playdoh etc. freely (which has been there for over a year now), I've always encouraged her to use them sensibly, with a note that they would be removed if not. She might just be a compliant kid, but it seems to work for us.

I assume they’re those Crayola washable ones? They’re great, they even wash out of our very light cream carpet. My DD has been using them since before she was 2! And is always under supervision so any potential damage is limited anyway. Couldn’t imagine not giving DD any pens ever, she loves colouring and pencils are boring 😂

Yeah, I do let mine have hers under supervision on big paper and sometimes she gets them out under not supervision and makes a mess. You can avoid it though, if you're not as lax/distracted as me.
She also has a blackboard and coloured chalks which I let her use without supervision so could try that if you don't want to be glued to her?

Under supervision, then yes, otherwise I hide them.

I'm baffled either way here. Either you don't allow supervised art or you would consider giving your child free reign with felt tips? Surely you just do craft while they're with you?

Admittedly my DS has come a bit later to drawing than some of his friends, but at 2 he wouldn't have been very good with felt tips anyway - a bit too much whole-fist scribbling and the tips would have been bashed in within about 5 minutes. At his nursery they had crayons and paints in the 2-3 room and I didn't see them using felt tips till we moved into the 3-5s. As PPs have said, though - scribbling on the walls is less of a risk if you're supervising. My DS drew on a door with crayons ONE time and after that he knew that you're not allowed to do that!

Mine had felt tip pens from quite young. Eldest never drew on anything, next one drew on everything with anything. I’ve given up worrying

Mine is 3 now but she had washable felt tips at 2. She gets them at the table for a specific activity then I put them away again out of her reach. Same as paints.She has drawn on the floor with crayon - she then had the crayons taken away for the rest of the day and had to help clean it up.

It's a bit of a bug bear of mine when parents stress too much about children and art supplies. I honestly think kids learn so much from arts and crafts - I think it's a real shame when it's too restricted.

I mean I think it does wonders for their patience, perseverance, creativity, mark making. I think it encourages calm concentration too.

I'm not really directing this at you OP... just so many parents in my area who literally wouldn't let their kids play with crafts!

If they’re washable they wash off. My granddaughter has some, and they do indeed wash off/out

Under supervision, absolutely fine no problem

My 2 yo has felt tip pens that he uses with supervision. I just sit and colour in with him and put some newspaper or old card under the page he's going to draw on and he knows he's supposed to try and stick to the paper. We practice one at a time and lids on after each use. Same applies to paint. Crayons and coloring pencils I would let him use more independently while still in the room watching him

I don't see why you'd think this was an unreasonable gift when you could use them together.

My 2yo has felt tips but, as others have said, we only use them together. I don't leave them accessible to her to use one her own because obviously she'd draw all over everything.

I didn’t mind felt tips because all drawing equipment (including pens, crayons and pencils) was put away where kids couldn’t reach anyway. I’d get it down, we’d use it together at the table, it’d go back away again. I don’t think felt tips are an ideal thing for toddlers because they tend to overuse them, make the paper wet and make holes, but one pack won’t do any harm.

I'd say fine under close supervision - when you're sat at the table colouring with her. Special occasion pens.

I certainly wouldn't fall out with MIL by declaring them banned, but I definitely wouldn't give DD free access to them either.