Muted

I'm just so disappointed.

So we've got a chalkboard, a painting easel, paper galore, various art programmes on the computer, you name it.

My son likes to write on walls.
His name too, so there's no denying.

And you know, i'm really proud he can write his own name ( in full - first, middle, last ) and his street address. He taught himself too, and he spells aloud to strangers.
Very proud of his name, he is.

He loves to copy words from books also, so I sometimes will find a passage written on the chalkboard and it's all very exciting.

But he likes to write on walls.


We've smacked, yelled, banned, been disappointed in him, taken toys away, banished him to his bedroom, discussed how naughty this is at length.

But he likes to write on walls.


Late last night, between twittering about periods ( oh yey! ) with Kim and Suse, and scrabbling with Shula and Caroline, I was making and labelling some CDs with a permanent marker.
But i'm no fool. When I was done, I secreted it into a pocket of my jacket, secure in the knowledge no-one would go there.

The baby did.
When I was showering this morning.
I wasn't long.

Long enough for the boy to grab the opportunity, to go into his playroom, into that little secret nook under his desk, and write his name in big booming permanent letters on the wall.
And then again on his desk.


WHY?
I am here typing this now and not talking to him. I have no idea how to proceed. Punishment and beatings have no long-term effect .. it's like .. like an addiction for him. He goes into a la-la name-writing world where rules don't apply and consequences don't matter .. just as long as he can scratch .. that.. itch.

Apparently my mum was the same. My Grandma eventually took away every last one of her writing appliances - pencils pens pastels, quills - whatever they had in those days, who knows.
So my mum simply scratched her name into things. Like her mum's special anodised kitchen canisters.

The only thing that's keeping me sane is the fact those two walls in the playroom are designated for demolition one day.

Oh, and get this: the kid is obsessed with graffiti, and rabbits on about how naughty the boys that do it are, and how the police will catch them and put them in jail.

How long do you reckon before he discovers the spraycan ?