As a mom with about six and a half years of experience, there are some things that I wish I had known before I began. I always loved doing crafts when I was a child, so I always make sure that my kid has a lot of great art supplies that she can use when she feels the need to be creative. What I didn?t know was that I should have been more careful about where I kept things and what I allowed her to use. Though crayons and markers are standard, I should have put more emphasis on colored pencils for a lot of very good reasons.
The biggest reason why I wish I had gotten more colored pencils than anything else is because it is almost impossible to write on the skin with them. Though I am sure that modern day markers that are made for kids will not do much damage when they are applied to the skin, it is still not something that I am comfortable with. Children can try and try to write on their skin with colored pencils, but they really are not going to get that far. They may get some marks, but for the most part, it?s just not going to happen.
Another great thing about colored pencils as apposed to crayons or markers is that it really does not take much to get them off of the wall. If you think your children will never have the chance or the interest in writing on the walls, you are probably in for a huge shock. I thought I had my daughter pretty well in check in this regard, but I totally underestimated her. If she had access to color pencils, I think the damage would have come right off with a Magic Eraser. Not so with the markers and crayons that she used. We ended up with a very expensive painting job on our hands.
Some children will not find colored pencils to be as exciting as crayons, but they do come in a huge variety of colors, and they are good for most coloring jobs. If they see you using them, they are going to use them as well. They should still have crayons and markers of course, but you should take more care when putting them up. Smaller children should never have access to any of them for safety reasons, but older children may be okay with these in their room. Stock their art desk with colored pencils and you will be happier for it.
