A mum has sparked a debate about letting children express themselves after sharing that she lets her toddler draw on the floor at home.
The 29-year-old TikToker, Kira Addison (@kiraaddison) from Arizona, filmed the aftermath after allowing her two-year-old daughter to scribble on the kitchen floor of their rental home with red, blue and brown crayon markings.
‘Healing my inner child is letting my two-year-old colour on the kitchen floor while I’m cooking,’ Kira wrote in her video.
She added: ‘She asked me first and I said yes. She tried to ask if she could colour on the cabinet and I said no and she listened. She knows this is only allowed right here. But she had the most fun and it can all be cleaned.’
Lots of people were upset with the clip while others defended Kira’s parenting style, explaining how they also let their children draw all over their homes with crayons or chalk.
‘My inner child wasn’t ruined because I couldn’t colour on the floor,’ Alyssa Shepherd said. ‘I get what you’re trying to do though.’
Another commenter, known only as Mikahla, shared: ‘THIS is how a true artist is created. The possibilities are endless. If you’re upset, you don’t make room [for] creativity in your life.’
Payson Carmen added: ‘Kid went through a phase of wanting to colour walls. We always said no and he’d do it anyway. Finally gave him his own little corner to do it in and he lost interest. Seems like a win-win honestly.’
Kira said that she lets her daughter draw on the floor because of the consequences she would have faced if she did the same as a child.
In response to Alyssa, Kira explained: ‘My inner child wasn’t ruined because I couldn’t draw on the floor, it was ruined because if I did I would’ve been screamed at.’
Regarding the negative comments, Kira shared an update in a follow-up video. ‘For everyone panicking with my last post, floor is all clean and it took a full one minute to mop. Oh yeah, and my two-year-old is the one who cleaned it.’
But what should you do if your child wants to turn your floors and cabinets into a their very own canvas? Even if it can be cleaned up afterwards.
Dr Patricia Britto, a Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered educational psychologist, explained to Metro.co.uk how important playtime is for learning and suggested parents should dedicate a wall in their home for their children to use for their doodles.
‘Play is an integral part of learning, and it activates the creative aspect of the brain. Play is also essential for supporting children to regulate their feelings,’ she said.
‘I would encourage children to engage in drawing; however, I think it’s important to highlight where it is appropriate to draw to allow the consistency of approach between the messages shared at school and home.’
Allocating one set place kids are allowed to scribble can help, she added.
‘What matters is to engage children in activities to build their fine motor skills, such as drawing. It’s important to let children draw to develop their fine motor skills. Drawing, in general, helps children with their creativity.
‘Still, as we have to prepare children for adulthood and drawing on the floor and wall would be considered graffiti in the world outside of the context of the home.’
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