Sample paint on Cupboard

Sample paint on Cupboard to create a SCRIBBLING SPACE Venkatachalam Salem

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MY REAL LIFE INCIDENTS ON CHILD REARING

I had read in many childcare books that we very often tell our children. “Don’t do that” and “Don’t do this”. In addition, that we do not take enough efforts to tell them “what to do” instead. Let me narrate an incident.


I think then my elder daughter Abinaya was 2 years old. I will get a small box of colour crayons costing around Rs.10 and a notebook and give it to her. I will demonstrate and the kid will be excited with the colours and start scribbling.


In a matter of two weeks or so, all the colour crayons will get broken off. It will be scattered in all nook and corner of the house. Every time my wife sweeps the house, she will be shouting at me. “See what your daughter had done. All the crayons are broken and strewn all around”.


Again, after 2 months, I will get her a new set of colour crayons. Seeing the new box, again my kid will once again take interest and start scribbling. Again, it will go to pieces and again I will be getting a scolding from my wife. Anyway, I would not mind that and keep repeating it. My kid will also scribble in the neatly painted walls or any surface she could write upon. In addition, as usual my wife will scold me.

One day, I decided to paint my wooden cupboard with white paint. I when to a paint shop, paid Rs.30 got a sample paint box and a brush. I came house and painted a small part of the cupboard. I called my kid and pointing to newly painted part said, “My child, now this is your area, you can scribble her. Mummy would not scold you. Go ahead”. Of course, it reduced her scribbling elsewhere substantially.


Often, my kid will scribble something in a piece of paper and show it to me. I would inspect it with genuine interest. Many times, accidentally it would look like some object -- like crow, mountain, stick etc. I would get excited and narrate what I saw or imagined there to be. I would show it to her too. She would eventually understand that she is doing something that interests me occasionally in her scribbling. Slowly she started focusing upon what I say and started to improve.


When my kids grew up for every tenth drawing I would say, “Hi, that is very good for your age”. Soon, she started drawing more good ones and frequently. Once in ten drawings will really be good. Therefore, I would show my excitement uttering lot of English words like “Very Good”, “Excellent”, “Beautiful”. And also show it to my wife and mum and make them also appreciate it. And do a little of my job of appreciation in my absence, instead of scolding. Generally, Indian women do that to a going kid.


As my kid grew, I started telling “constructive criticisms” more often and reduced telling “very good”. I would say often, “See, this should be straighter” and “That I not a perfect circle. Come on, rub it off and make it perfect” etc.


Often, when my daughters were young they would suddenly request my father-in-law and mother-in-law not to move. If we note the reason behind that, we could find them making a sketch or line drawing of them. My in-laws would be thrilled to see their grand kid doing such wonderful things.


My genuine interest in the drawings that my kid drew and my pointers now and then had made her a good artist. Now she can draw fantastic things in the computer “paint” program.


Of course, both my daughters Abinaya and Ayswariya are equal to each other in many arts like drawing and music. Of course, my elder daughter taught my younger one many good things I taught her. Often she improved what I did.


Can you believe that my expense or investment to make each of them good artist was just 10 colour crayons boxes and a sample paint box. The amount could be about Rs. 150. 

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Flesch Reading Ease : 70.0

Grade Level : 6.6

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Ezhilarasan Venkatachalam Salem

Tamil Based English Trainer