3 year old has drawn on my car with a stone.....

[Blueuggboots]

How in earth do you explain to a 3 year old just how awful and expensive it is to repair enormous scratches all over my 6 month old car???
I'm gutted. I was mowing the lawn and he was playing. I admit I wasn't watching him closely - totally get that's it's my fault for not watching him so carefully but I'm not arguing that, I'm asking how to deal with it?
He's been shouted at and I've explained why I'm upset but what else can I do???
I've told him before that he should ONLY draw on paper and nowhere else.....
It's going to cost me loads to get the scratches out.

That's it. You've told him, sounds like he's been punished with shouting - what else do you want? He won't understand 'expensive', and he knows your cross and upset. Now it's time to move on...

T-Cut from a place like Halfords is really easy to use and should lift the drawings out. Talking from experience - my DS used a key!

Our DS found the metal stir fry tool that came as part of a set with a wok, and had very pointy corners, and chipped our beautiful high gloss kitchen cupboard - after the manufacturers had just discontinued it.

He helped us realise why nobody with plans to parent should buy expensive pine furniture.

There are probably more, but the kitchen was the most sickening.

You have already done all that you can do - unfortunately it is just one of those things with being a parent that the DCs will inevitably damage some stuff, quite without intent or malice.

T-Cut has saved my car from deliberate vandals before now (who spray paints somebody's car?!?). Hope it does the trick for yours.

What did he draw?

Big sympathy. Mine once drew a humungous no. 4 on my car door, allegedly because he was "playing schools" .

A few days later he drew LFC on the wing and tried to blame it on his brother on the grounds that his brother was a Liverpool supporter whereas he was not. He'd forgotten than his brother was a) indoors at the time and b) not tall enough to reach the wing.

T-Cut helped a bit.

Tbh you've told him off. It was your fault!

Does he need further punishment? No, he is three.

He's three. You got cross. He now knows if he draws on your car with a stone you get cross and shout. Lesson learned.

A three year old won't understand the impact of drawing on a car with a stone. To him it's like drawing with chalk on a board or wall.

He wasn't being closely supervised and a silly thing happened. It' doesn't deserve punishment. You shouted and I doubt it will happen again.
These things happen when you have kids.

He's three, you know it was your fault, they need watching like a hawk.

There's nothing else to be done, sorry about your car though you must be gutted.

My 2.5 year old has been an avide drawer and will 'find' that one crayon that wasnt put in the box and doodle away, she has done all doors, paintwork on stair posts, kitchen tiles, radiator. I have managed to get it all off. I do the same 'No colour' and reinforce the paper thing. She seems to be getting the message.

If its any consolation mine is always doing stuff that she shouldn't because I was on phone, amking a coffee, at the loo. But with yours it was v unforntuate what he has done was your car.

I agree with others, Ive resigned myself to a passable carpet and decor until my LO gets older. I dont how people with 'posher' stuff do it they must keep their DC in puppy cages all day.

You do nothing else. This was your fault not his. He is three.

Sympathies, OP. You can only try scratch remover. Whether it works is a different matter.

I wasn't suggesting for a second it wasn't my fault!
I just wondered if anyone had any other ideas how I could make him understand.
I don't want to "punish" him, I just wanted him to understand he mustn't do it again.
He drew wiggly lines and I think one bit is supposed to be a ......

Dont be too hard on child or your self you couldn't have predicted it
Oh i sympathise,i do.we've had walls drawn on,not car.
A gentle talkin to,thats all.

My DSD once etched her name on the roof of my car with a metal hairclip when she was 5 or 6.

She was supposedly helping me to clean it and was standing in the door frame leaning on the roof.

Good job it was a really old car - we still mention it to her now and she's 23.

Oh yes, this will definitely go in the archives to be revisited on his wedding day!! Haha