I have been told that not EVERY child goes through a stage where they write on their skin and/or their clothes, but I do not know if I have actually met a child who hasn’t scribbled a little something on their flesh or fabric at one time or another. Depending on your views of such things, the behavior might be a really big deal…or not…
I was one of those kids who tried out the ink drawings on my skin (and eventually amassed a bit of a genuine tattoo collection as an adult) and I used to jot messages and reminders on the inside of my palm when I was in high school. I can remember my mother’s many comments about how “unhealthy” the ink was for my skin and I imagine this is true. I know that I too worried about the health affects of my own children drawing on their skin. Additionally, there is the reality that it can look pretty tacky—not such a big deal unless you are going to church, the symphony, or to dinner with grandma and grandpa!
There are just certain types of ink that do not wash off well and I have known many an aggravated parent trying to figure out how to get permanent marker to wash off a child’s skin! As parents, we have to decide whether or not this is going to be one of the issues we choose to make a rule and a big deal about or not—it will depend on personal values, lifestyle, philosophy, etc.
Clothes are another matter—in addition to the accidental markings that come with typical activities, some of us are lucky enough to get one or more children who willfully want to write up and decorate their jeans or a shirt. I think at least two of my teens have a designated pair of jeans that have become “works of art.” At first, I was annoyed and tried saying no, but eventually gave in—there are some things a mom just cannot fight or control. Besides, how can I argue with “it’s a fashion statement?”
It may help to remember that we all eventually outgrow it. I no longer write reminders on my hand since I am an adult with a datebook and to-do lists, however, there is always that chance that (like me) those young skin artists will grow up to embrace a tattoo or two…
Also: Family Fun Tips–Face Painting Ideas
and check out the FORUMS for more on tattoos