Teachers drawing on children?

[Talktomyselfforhours]

I might be totally overthinking this so hoping for a good sounding board with fellow mumsnetters!

DD is in Year 3 at school and has quite often come home with smiley faces drawn on her hand, she told me the teacher draws smiley faces when they've done good work or behaved well.

AIBU to think this isn't right and teachers shouldn't be 'marking' the kids? I'm probably over thinking it but surely there are other ways of doing this that doesn't mean I've got to scrub these off each night? And yes she would have a wash etc but pen marks take a little more work and she does have quite sensitive skin. It's a biro pen that's being used. Quite happy to be told to get over it!

My DC would LOVE that. I wouldn't have a problem with it if she was happy - like you it'd be hard to get off and she has sensitive skin, especially on her hands, but I just wouldn't try that hard.

I'm not daft and other parents in the class have confirmed the same, I've spoken to them at the playground and they all said the same that kids have smiley faces on their hands for good work....

I've held my hands up there was a mistake about drawings on the knee, that was a misunderstanding.

I would infinitely rather that than a barrage of stickers. DD refuses to get rid of them so we have a colony of old furry stickers in her room that I have to cull from the bottom up. More eco friendly too.

Yet only an hour ago you were saying your daughter absolutely had a circle on her knee and it was done by the teacher for bad behaviour.

Maybe it's cost cutting at schools, there used to be stickers given out in lower year groups!

I get it as a way to recognise good behaviour, I just didn't want it to encourage more doodling on hands and the issue if getting it off afterwards 😝

I was told growing up that it’s bad to draw on your skin because it can be absorbed?? Is this one of those lies that people tell children to stop them drawing on themselves?

I've just re-read the OP and I can't see where it says she draws circles for bad behaviour. I've just woken up so happy to be shown something I missed.

I think it's odd and I've never done it as a teacher but I wouldn't be particularly bothered if it was my child. I gave my class stickers but they usually kept pulling them off to look at them until they lost their 'sticky'. Maybe the teacher is avoiding this or has just run out of money to buy stickers.

When DD was at primary they had a smiley faced stamp .. normally went in books, but sometimes on hands, the kids loved it

Probably.

I'm with you OP. As a teacher myself, I would not like that on my child and would not do it to the children I teach. I have seen some members of staff in Reception put a stamp on the back of a child's hand. But again, I personally don't like it and would never do it.

I either put a sticker on the child's top (jumper/shirt) or stamp their work/draw a smiley face on their work. Never on their skin.

Seems strange - I wouldn’t do it as a teacher - I’d expect it to annoy parents. I think you could ask the teacher to not do it in a gentle friendly manner. Just don’t be aggressive or stressed when you speak to her.

Presumably teachers still buy their own stickers (my mum did years ago) so pen faces save them money. I have seen skin stamps being advertised on social media

The OP was edited. Originally it said the teacher draws circles on children’s knees for misbehaviour, but the OP has explained that she misunderstood what her DD was saying and that the circles are actually drawn on a board in the classroom.

DD's teacher a couple of years ago did the smiley faces on hands. Thought, that's new, haven't had a teacher do that before.

And went on with my day.

It's far better than the piles of 'reward' tar/stickers/lollies that I have to manage/quietly throw out.

You know the teacher buy the stickers themselves? School doesn’t provide them.

You said though that ‘Then the other day she came home with a circle on her knee and she said it was because she had been told off about something. If you get 4 circles in the day then you go and see the headteacher.’

You saw the circle on her knee no confusion with name.

So odd that a handful of posters are adamant your child is lying.

Yes it is a bit strange for the teacher to do that - a sticker chart on the wall, or we have an app (where we get updates and can email the teacher) also uses a point system we can see.

I used to get a stamp on my hand for being good.

I can remember it vividly 25 years later, that's how fun it was!!

I don't see this as any different.

However I also don't think it's true.

Do you mean that you think OP’s daughter is lying about the smiley faces being done by the teacher? Or do you mean that you think the whole post is fake?

My dc used to like getting a stamp on their work and on their hands. Think it stopped after ks1though.

I’ve googled it and apparently it is linked to an increase chance of cancer if done very frequently and in high amounts. I know the teacher is only drawing a small smiley face but it’s not something I’d want to encourage.

I don’t believe this happened.

Where does it say she draws on them if they’ve been naughty?

I don't know why people don't believe this would ever happen.

We had little round stamps at primary school saying things like "good work" "well done" that would get stamped on your work. But if it was for something where there was no physical work to be stamped (eg PE), or where you didn't want a stamp on it (like a picture) you'd get it on your hand if you wanted.

Click the edit post and you will see.

I’m going to go with this one.