Aristotle loves to paint.
Unfortunately, I hate to clean up. So until recently, it was always with great reluctance that I would bring out the paints. I even tried to minimise the mess by using Crayola Mess Free Finger Paints and Faber-Castell Water Colour Pencils in order to satisfy Aristotle’s need to paint and my need to avoid cleaning up.
Recently, I had a brain storm while in the car. Since I hate cleaning up after a painting session, why not get Aristotle to paint in the shower?
Cleaning up after is a simple matter of spraying water over everything. In fact, I took it one step further and made Aristotle responsible for washing up everything after he was done – and he did a great job! Since discovering this wonderful method of painting, we’ve been doing it everyday after school.
I no longer have to worry about Aristotle walking around the house and leaving his paint marks everywhere. The shower cubicle contains all his mess. Even if he paints on the wall, all I have to do is spray the walls clean. If I really wanted to save the trees, I could even get him to pain directly on the wall!
Now Aristotle can paint as and when he likes. Why didn’t I think of this when he was younger?
Mephala says
That’s a great idea! I should do that too. We stopped painting at home cos of Jade but we can certainly do it in the shower (and contain Jack too). 😀
Shen-Li says
😀 I’m rather proud of that idea, too. Definitely one of my better ones, I think.
MieVee @ MummysReviews.com says
Brilliant indeed! 🙂 I was planning to bring my boy outdoors when the time to paint comes. Just lay s huge canvas sheet on the grass and wear a waterproof top.
Shen-Li says
Yes, that’s another option. Like Mephala, I found the shower idea great because it contains the older child and keeps him occupied while I manage the younger one.
I use to lay newspapers all around and let Gavin sit on the floor to paint but I hated cleaning up the mess afterward. I always wanted to get him an easel but we live with the in laws and my MIL’s been nagging about the clutter in the house. So this works best for me 🙂
Vanessa says
This is great. I tried today withmy 20mo. I would advise not leaving the paint on too long.. Although we use water paint (a rather thick one) I did not wash it off soon enough and I had trouble getting the tiles clean again.
That’s a great idea!
Shen-Li says
We’ve use Crayola finger paints and Pelikan finger paints. Crayola comes off easily. The Pelikan ones are quite thick too and take a bit longer to get off but it hasn’t given me too much trouble.
Fz Teh says
OMG, it ‘s so fun and I am going to try on to my darling daughter as I hate my most to do cleaning up also, regrettable to only have opportunity to actually sit down to read each writeup and to stumble across this fun sight!!!!! goshhhhhh
Shen-Li says
FZ – when you have two, you really have to be creative about doing things. Can’t let the younger one catch koh koh playing with paints or he will want to as well and he will definitely eat the paints!