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!

I reckon it was an old myth passed down.
I've never known a child to have any issues from pen marks in their skin in real life, lots of them draw on themselves regularly ime, regardless of how many times they are told not to.

I've not drawn on a child. I tend to give stickers - I buy these myself.
For one sac we had stamps, which were skin safe. It normally went in a 'bookmark' type card but some children wanted it on their hands too. It was done at the end of the club and skin was only stamped if a parent agreed at that time, and it was done by the child.

It reminded me of clubbing and festival days and the hand stamps to allow re-admission.

Maybe the teacher just doesn’t want to / can’t afford to buy stickers (which anyway get lost/lose their stick/cause distractions). I can imagine the kids would absolutely love it too.

This reminds me - why are stickers generally so rubbish these days? What's happened to their stickiness? I'm sure they were better in the past. However, regardless of whether i but cheap Ines or more expensive Ines the stickers these days just dint seem to have any staying power!

I think you should wrap her in cotton wool and keep her home. Or find yourself something worthwhile to worry about.

This is not something you go straight to the HT about!

Just speak to the teacher if it bothers you. Some children would love it. I'm quite sure no child is forced into it. However, if as the parent, you don't like it, have a grown up conversation or - depending in the school's communication policies - a quick email. It's very easily sorted.

Absolutely no need to go to the HT at this point, let alone an anonymous message!

I'm a primary school teacher, and I've done similar in the past. I used to have a box of ink stamps, and I'd stamp their hands if they did a lovely piece of writing or something. They used to love it, and I never had any complaints from parents or SLT.

Sounds like when the teachers used to put a smiley stamp on our hands for good behaviour in kindergarten. They were much coveted and anyone who was good enough to get one was very chuffed! Seems odd to draw it in biro, but perhaps they don't have enough spare cash for stamps or stickers? I wouldn't be upset about this, although I can understand it may be a pain to wash off. If it bothers you, just ask your child to politely ask the teacher to draw the smiley face on her work next time.

That's so strange ... if indeed it is the teacher.
What's wrong with a good old-fashioned sticker?!

Where did she mention knees lol (unless it was previously in the op and then edited)
Yes this absolutely does happen! Ive seen teachers do it/had my own kids come home with smiley faces on their hands.
Just because you havent seen a thing it doesnt mean it doesnt happen!

I’d prefer a sticker too. Biro is a bugger to get off.

So your DD was swinging on a chair, which is dangerous and something that she should have known by year 3 she shouldn’t have been doing. She make even have been warned before the circle was put on the board so she was also disobeying her teacher's instruction.

DD may not have been lying but she has also successfully deflected your attention from her misbehaviour.

Tell her that you expect to see a smiley face on her hand for something positive at least 3 times next week. Baby oil or baby lotion should shift the biro marks or you can use it to reinforce proper handwashing.

It was a misunderstanding rather than BS.
This was the main reason for me posting initially as it had been playing on my mind since it happened, I've know about the smiley faces for a while and I thought it odd but ok, nothing to stress about. When I thought she was getting circles on her knees for bad behaviour that's why I came to Mumsnet to see what others thought as I thought it inappropriate. Turns out I made a mistake which I quickly tried to rectify but there had already been responses and then in true MN fashion it becomes a bigger issue than the original question as you become a liar or have no common sense to know children can tell fibs 🙄
It was MY misunderstanding but unfortunately I couldn't delete my post completely so just edited to remove the knees - I was still keen to hear if drawing on kids hands was normal practice which sounds like it is done elsewhere. Not the end of the world and something I can quietly approach the teacher about. Thanks for everyone's thoughts, much appreciated.

Because they’re expensive and the teachers have to pay for them themselves.

They also tend to be a bit rubbish and fall off 5mins later.

This is the same thing, apart from it’s free and the kids all know it gets washed off and so they can’t get upset if it falls off and they lose it.

That's interesting, my. Child comes home most days with biro all over his hands, sometimes face and clothes too. Those 2 are accidental but the drawing/writing on hands he does himself and I don't understand why teacher doesn't discourage it. I think it looks terrible and don't like children writing on their hands, which they often do on purpose. Each to their own I guess!

Aside from a waste of ink, if they are writing on hands, they aren’t doing what they’re supposed to be doing as access to pens would only be in lessons in a primary setting.

It isn’t a choice between sticker and drawing on hands. Does this teacher not have any clue about suitability of rewards? The school would have an agreed system . Behaviour charts, class points, marble jars to fill towards a reward, housepoints etc

Why not ask teacher about it? Explain about the sensitive skin, as an ex teacher I've never heard of this, personally I would write on a big white sticker exactly what the child had done right and stick to their top so it was the first thing the parents saw, the child got to choose the pen colour, but like I said ask the teacher about it

Thanks! I had no idea about this feature.

We always used to use stampers instead of stickers and the child could choose if it went in a book or on their hand-they nearly always chose their hand!

-Then the other day she came home with a circle on her knee

Did you clarify who drew the circle on her knee, @Talktomyselfforhours ? Was it your child? The teacher? Another child?

A stamp is a much better idea as is the choice of where to put it.

I remember that happening to me as a child 35 years ago, and I didn’t like it.

As a parent I wouldn’t like this as biro is a pain to scrub off.

As an educator and youth group leader there is NO WAY I would be drawing on a child. Some will see at is an overreaction but there’s no way I’d risk the hassle of a reaction, accidentally ‘hurting’ the child (anything can be misconstrued if somebody wants it to be), a parent not being happy with it…

You said hands as well.
So no, you were being ridiculous.

A tiny little bit of antibac hand gel and biro melts straight off. I wouldn't have a problem with this tbh, stickers are expensive and kids love doodling on themselves, there's no harm in it imo.

They cost money - usually the teacher's own.