The Best Thing I Ever Bought My Kids

Recently I redecorated my kid's rooms. At the time I thought the greatest thing about their new rooms was the Star Wars light saber lamps. Granted, I still think they are the coolest thing ever, they certainly are not the best thing I ever bought my kids.

The best thing I bought them is also for their new rooms. Star Wars message boards. It's not the fact that they are Star Wars that makes them awesome, it's the message board part.

This tool has been used especially by DeAndre, (7yo), although Dorian, (4yo), enjoys drawing on his as well. DeAndre has begun using his board in a way I wasn't expecting but I am so glad he found a healthy way to relieve his own stress. On the first occasion he had written "Dorian I hate you. Stay out of my room 4 ever and don't touch my stuff". Many people might be gasping and thinking that is horrible, but it is actually very healthy. Rather than keeping his feelings bottled up, he is releasing the feelings he has in small healthy doses. When he made up with his brother he erased the message.

I never commented to him about what he wrote because it was his own personal release of how he felt at that moment and it wasn't my business to interfere with that. I know he doesn't really hate his brother.

On the next occasion I found the message "I hate cleaning". He wrote this on the day I made him clean his room for a sleepover he was having. He still did clean his room and did a great job. The thing is, the act of writing your feelings down on paper helps make you feel better and I am so happy my son has discovered this. It's a healthy release that isn't harming anyone and as a bonus he practices his writing and spelling techniques.

Today, after my husband told him he couldn't watch television because of his behaviour this morning, DeAndre wrote another message on his message board. This time he said "Daddy and Dorian stay out of my room but Mommy can come in my room". My husband and I laughed about it this evening after the kids went to bed. We would never take such messages to heart because we know he doesn't mean it. He erases them once he feels better which is another reason I like the message board idea vs. paper and pencil.

If you have a child who is around age 6 or 7yo, I highly suggest adding a message board to his or her room somewhere where he or she will have easy access to it. Allow your child to freely express him or herself at his or her leisure on the board. It's one way to help keep your child emotionally healthy.