5.5 year old repeatedly drawing on walls...

[SAHM2019]

Hi, I know this probably sounds like a trivial problem and probably quite normal too. But I have a 5.5 year old who has been scribbling on the walls for 2 years now. She has been told over and over not to do it. Shes been shouted at for it. I've made her wipe it off in the past. Ive tried explaining to her not to do it and have included it on the family ground rules chart (might sound silly but it's something we all do together and it works for us with most things). The last time she did it I told her that if it happened again, I would take away all of her pens, crayons, gel pens (anything she could drawer with). I asked her did she understand and she nodded her head. Since then shes scribbled all over the hallway, in secret places in her bedroom that she thinks will go unnoticed and all over her bedroom door. So today i have removed all of her pens and explained why to her. She looked like she had been really hard done by and felt sorry for herself. Shes the eldest of 3, the middle one doesn't drawer on the walls it's just her. I'm at my wits end with why she isn't getting not to do it. I know lots of kids do this at this age but is this normal for them to him just keep taking consequences and keep doing the same thing? Is this attention seeking behaviour? I have no idea. Please share thoughts.

No advice as to why she does it... but have you considered chalkboard wallpaper? Or even a chalkboard so it's a designated spot for her to draw on.

Quick Google says it's on sale on Amazon.

It's a repeated behaviour so confiscating things isn't working. Have you considered time out or withholding other treats ie- sweets or trips to the park and followed through?

Not chalkboard wall paper, but she has an egal standing chalk board, that's a chalk board on one side and a white board on the other. The middle one probably uses it more than she does though. I've also got her jumbo chalks for outdoors which she does like but doesn't stop the indoor wall drawing. Will look into chalkboard wallpaper though. Its driving me bonkers!

EAIOU, so I've done the not taking her on a playdate that she was meant to go on before with something else... I may try a week by week approach now I'm thinking about it and pre tell her that if there is anymore drawing on the walls this week, she wont be going to the park for example on whatever day that is planned. And because it's the summer holidays, we have a few plans that I can use as leverage on this one. Think between us we might ne into something here!

Absolutely! 😂😂 got to be ten steps ahead.

Is she bored, stressed or jealous of siblings getting attention?

Little ones do like to push boundaries though unfortunately 😂

Yeah see I did think maybe she felt like she wasnt getting as much attention. So recently i put the younger ones to bed earlier than her, and let her stay downstairs with me for an hour and we'll make something or watch something or do whatever she chooses for that hour to have 'her time'. I think she does need a lot of stimulation and this happens in the moments of her being bored. And she really does push boundaries unfortunately for me 🙄 on the bright side though, I've heard that if small children are naughty, they are a breeze when they are teens and vice versa 🙏🏾

You must have tour hands full though so can be hard to find a balance.

You sound like you're doing everything possible withholding treats as consequences and making special time for her too.

Haha keeping my fingers crossed for you on the teen front 😂😂😂