Help. Marker all over Thomas Train Tracks and Set :(

[readyin07]

I am over kids. Over them. While I was cleaning up the giant mess in my 6yo's room, my 3yo took marker (Crayola dry erase) all over the fucking place in the play room. I actually got it off the play kitchen and train table itself pretty easily with Magic Eraser, but the track. We have extra tracks so I'll just throw out the plain pieces that are bad, but it is also all over the "special pieces" that make sounds, move, etc.

Three Fridays ago, my older son took scissors to his hair. After I had given him to them from the drawer while he was with his friend and told him specifically "Only use these for paper and nothing else, do you understand?" I just can't deal anymore. I guess everything on our easel will have to be locked up too now.

I've tried Magic Eraser, toothpaste, a special ink remover I have (Amodex) and Tuff Stuff. Sigh. B/c I am a shitty mom, I told him I was throwing the whole f-ing thing away since he couldn't play with it properly. I suck. BUt he knows better. We were about to leave to go see ILs and I said "DS2 let's go, I'm finished up in here for now." And from the play room he says "Mommy I love you" and I automatically was like what have you done. He had also colored all over his sweater. 

[Deleted]

I don't know how to get marker off, but....is it really that big of a deal? So he has to play with marker train tracks from now on. No big deal.

[readyin07]

Feb 20, 2015 17:57:58 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

Dude. They are toys; he played with them. Pick your battles.

Intellectually I know this, but when you see your nice playroom covered in black ink...also on the floors and the walls...it's pretty easy to get pissed.

[sarahbear]

I agree with the others. Besides giving the lesson of treating our toys the right way, I certainly wouldn't throw away any pieces. That stuff is expensive.

[mushmouse]

Why on Earth would you throw them away?

[cleo29]

I would not throw them out. I would try soap and water since most Crayola stuff is washable. And if the marker does not come off, it is what it is.

[katie4253]

I'd be annoyed. But don't throw it out! That is nuts. If it's a dry erase maker alcohol works to clean it. So, hand sanitizer, alcohol, etc

You could also try expo cleaner. The wood is unsealed though. So, it's probably going to remain stained.

[readyin07]

Sigh. You guys are being too reasonable. Are you this calm with your children? Perhaps I shouldn't have had kids...said semi-jokingly/semi-seriously. It's just the disregard I see with their things (and then mine).

[papie]

I get being frustrated. But I never throw out their own stuff that they ruin. It serves as a reminder not to do that next time.

[hi725]

Rubbing alcohol. But really, they are toys. Not a big deal. Just wait until it's your couch!

[papie]

Feb 20, 2015 18:10:57 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

Sigh. You guys are being too reasonable. Are you this calm with your children? Perhaps I shouldn't have had kids...said semi-jokingly/semi-seriously. It's just the disregard I see with their things (and then mine).

I lose patience plenty. It's ok. A mom who was never yelled has to be a sociopath.

[Deleted]

Feb 20, 2015 18:12:02 GMT -5 hi725 said:

Rubin alcohol. But really, they are toys. Not a big deal. Just wait until it's your couch!

Mhmm. We had our brand new leather couches in the house for all of 10 minutes before sofia drew on a cushion with pen. It's still there.

[lilac05]

Don't throw it away. They'll probably be unhappy their stuff is "damaged", but it'll be a reminder not to do it again. In fact, I probably wouldn't attempt to clean it any more. What's done is done.

Since you made the threat of taking it away, I'd put it away for awhile and they can have it back later. After a certain time or when earned, whichever you choose.

[spwspw]

Feb 20, 2015 18:10:57 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

Sigh. You guys are being too reasonable. Are you this calm with your children? Perhaps I shouldn't have had kids...said semi-jokingly/semi-seriously. It's just the disregard I see with their things (and then mine).

I'm always super calm and reasonable with other people's kids.  My own know exactly how to get under my skin.  

[hi725]

Feb 20, 2015 18:10:57 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

Sigh. You guys are being too reasonable. Are you this calm with your children? Perhaps I shouldn't have had kids...said semi-jokingly/semi-seriously. It's just the disregard I see with their things (and then mine).

No, I didn't use to be this calm with my kids, which is exactly why I'm telling you it's not worth it. Because, it isn't.

[nursewife]

I recently got hi lighters on my walls and vinegar and water helped. Maybe try that?

[stellas]

Feb 20, 2015 18:10:57 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

Sigh. You guys are being too reasonable. Are you this calm with your children? Perhaps I shouldn't have had kids...said semi-jokingly/semi-seriously. It's just the disregard I see with their things (and then mine).

I totally get being mad, especially if it's the 10th annoying thing they did this week.

You don't need to throw out markered TOYS though. They're toys. They're not ruined.

I get all Kate Gosselin about errant "art" and my solution is to not do crafts at home, only keep crayons in the house, and store them securely. I think some people think I'm the killer of joy, lol, but I think just doing crafts at school is better for my kids than crafts with a shrieking harpy mother.

[pierogigirl]

Can you lightly sand the wood pieces? Dry erase marker is the worst.

[mushmouse]

Feb 20, 2015 18:10:57 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

Sigh. You guys are being too reasonable. Are you this calm with your children? Perhaps I shouldn't have had kids...said semi-jokingly/semi-seriously. It's just the disregard I see with their things (and then mine).

I didn't say I wouldn't lose my shit if he wrote on the walls.  Which is why at 4 he still doesn't have free access to markers, paint or even chalk. I just wouldn't throw out the tracks! lol Also - did he get both sides?  Just flip them over.

[hi725]

Suesue,I know this gets said a lot around here, but you are the mother that I want to be.

[KKD]

I get being pissed. I mean, I posted the other day about being upset with my 7 y.o. for cutting a single doll's hair, so I know I would seriously lose it if any of my kids went on a marker rampage. This is why I only allow washable art supplies in my house and even then keep them out of reach so they have to ask permission to use them. Even when you think they should know better, clearly they can't ever be trusted. lol.

I have threatened to toss toys in the heat of the moment and later admitted I overreacted and switched to another more reasonable punishment instead. I wouldn't throw out any of the tracks since they are so expensive, and the kids certainly don't care if their toys are marked up (though I know, probably like you, that it would bother me everytime I looked at them). And I would try rubbing alcohol, and then diluted vinegar. I hope something works!

[leshoequeen]

Well, since my kids are driving me up the fucking wall tonight, I'll side with you. I'd throw those markers in the trash pronto because clearly they don't play with them properly. I probably wouldn't throw out the train stuff because it's too damn expensive and well, it's their own problem that their tracks are covered in marker.

I hope you have wine. That's my next step.

[cville]

I get being mad for sure.

I do not get throwing away perfectly good toys. I mean, hell, I consider having screwed up toys to be a perfect consequence/learning experience for having treated them poorly. See also, e.g., my mom NOT running out and buying me a Ken doll after I chopped the hair off of a Barbie to "make her a boy."

[thatgirl2478]

I get it. I was irritated at my DD because she used pen to write all over the flag to her clip clop pony castle. Nothing got rid of it either (tried 91% alcohol, nail polish remover, hair spray, 409, simple green, magic eraser). However, at the end of the day it's just a toy. But I get it.

[craftyone]

It's okay to be angry for a bit and then let it go. I have 2 autistic kids and a 7 year old who, because his brothers don't understand the concept of consequences/right/wrong, feels like he shouldn't either. I raise my voice plenty and feel like my kids ruin something practically every day. Twice this week my son got into the school paint and covered my hardwoods and my dining room rug. I was livid and very vocally told my son I was ANGRY. The best we can do is continue to teach them right and wrong and make them help you clean it up. I doubt there are many parents in this world whose kids haven't marked up a wall with crayon or marker. As for the train set, it can be a visual reminder that there are permanent consequences of using markers on something other than paper.

[papie]

Feb 20, 2015 19:12:56 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

well, I get being annoyed, but I do think you're going overboard a bit. Put up the markers, not the toys. Fix the damage to the walls, and don't pitch perfectly good toys just because they were markered up.

We got ds1 a piano at about this age, a really nice 1920's upright grand, it was free from someone's uncle's house we knew. Beautiful ivory keys. He'd had a small electric keyboard up to that point, and it had little stickers on the keys, A, B, C, etc through G. We didn't have stickers for the piano, because why would you need them once you knew the keys themselves? Ds1 knew the keys already, he was good at piano, taught himself up to that point. So we didn't bother.

Came down one evening and he'd marked each key with inch high permanent marker letters, all the way up the piano keyboard. absolutely not removable. I looked at him, he looked at me, I said well *(big breath, heavy sigh), will that help you play better and he said yes, and I said great! and patted his head. His piano, his music, his learning it. The piano still worked just fine, and he loved it and played it for years. I asked him to be sure not to mark up stuff without asking next time, and he agreed, and he marked up other shit anyway without asking, but not much.

I would die

[CurlyQ284]

I don't get upset about messed up toys. DS took a marker to the TV and that really pissed me off. He can only use marker in his high chair or at his art table if I'm sitting right there to prevent him from running away with the marker. Or the magic color ones that only show up on special paper which he never wants to use because real markers are more fun. DH flips out when he throws the Thomas Trains though. They're toys that belong to a 2 year old so I figure they'll all get jacked up.

[CloudBee]

Sandpaper? Or douse them all with paint.

[meemz]

Magic eraser?? Bleach??? A blow torch??? I am not a parent.

[emsumm]

I'd totally be pissed, fwiw.