to remove the felt-tips after dd has decided to draw over her entire body.

[Hangingbellyofbabylon]

bloody 'washable' pens from Early Learning. Have since discovered they only wash off with extensive and repeated scrubbing in the bath and even then not very well. My heart sank when I realised dd2 (nearly 3) had got hold of the pens and coloured in her arms and legs bright green . Have had to take away pens resulting in massive tantrum from very cross dd who is like some kind of miniature incredible hulk and is now foaming green at the mouth.

And dh not home till late.. [sigh].

Crayola super-washable here! God knows what the stepdaughters use to draw on themselves when they are not here because it doesn't come off.

I'm just having a felt pen argument with DD. It's the lid on/off saga.

she will merge beautiful with the'decorating' DS1 & 2 did last night all over the freshly painted living room last night as I was making their tea

(at least it comes off skin eventually!)

I feel your pain. DS came home from school yesterday covered in hearts, lovely red ones all over his face and arms.

They did wash off ok in the bath, they are expensive ones though, the school provides them.

haha your dd sounds great. (obviously from a distance when i don't actually have to deal with any of the fall out or clean up)

She's now sat with a packet of baby wipes and is furiously wiping her arms, they are now a kind of generic all-over green rather than green stripes, pen not coming off, just kind of spreading. I know I should just run a bath but I feel sick and just don't have the energy at this moment. Have dd1 off with upset tum so it's been a bit of a shit day.

el noramlly come off(i get them for dd sn) but not the black....i bin them

YANBU

if they can't play with / use it nicely, then it gets taken away

that's why dd1 & dd2 had their bedroom door removed for a while

I'm not entirely sure we've got any felt tips in the house now as I got so fed up of the kids drawing on themselves.

removing the bedroom door - Kudos.. .

Well both were scrubbed in the bath (later discovered dd1 had fashioned herself pink kneecaps with same pens). They are more or less clean, kind of pale green and pale pink now.

I think it's back to Crayola washables for me which really truly are washable.

YANBU remove the offending items. A friend of mine said that the kids where just very artistic when my DS coloured his arms and her DD coloured the kitchen floor. My kitchen! I don't mind arms, but the floor?? I said to her artistic DD "EXCUSE ME, DARLING, GIVE BACK THAT PEN!"
The puzzles are now located in a high place too

wouldn't bother me - let her have green arms, why not?!

Tis what childhood is about

Not remotely unreasonable. I throw away all our felt tip pens on a roughly six monthly basis, when one child or other does something unspeakable with them.

They will then be perfectly happy with harmless coloured pencils for several relaxing weeks.

Trouble is, some kind-hearted relative always than buys them some new ones - and I always think it will be different this time (sigh).

Did you take a photo? I've got a cracking one of dd colouring herself in green . She's going to hate me when she's older & I bring out the photo albums to show her boyfriends .