Would love input on your studio vs. your children or grandchildren

[nancy_ellen56]

Okay, I haven't posted anywhere in a long time, due to constant conflict going on in the family. I have a huge question though. I know that not all of us have our kids grown, there has to be a lot on here with weee ones, pre schoolers, and so on, so how do you handle the storage of your paints, now mind you not the cleaning chemicals, I am talking your tubes of paints, be it acrylic, water color, or oil with the preschoolers around.
I live in Texas, am 49 yrs old, live by myself and was setting up two of my rooms for a studio. I have no small children at home but have a three yr old grandson, whom I set up with a desk, chair, crayolas, water colors, etc.. so when he was here he could "paint "with granny. I have taught him since he was first walking, that what was on my drafting table, hanging on the wall, on shelves, etc.. "that was grannie's stuff, leave it alone" This worked out great, he would stand with little hands clasped behind his back and always say "just looking" when He would eye my drafting table or my paints or pens, pencils, etc. He knew he had all his own at his own desk right beside grannie's. I had even found me a black cart kinda like what they use at hospitals for equipment carts. Anyhow it had little open type shelves on the sides, drawers in the middle and a flat top that was desk high that worked great to lay my pallet on when working. I took my oil paint tubes and sorted them by color groups and stored in the cart. The cart being on wheels was great for rolling around to where I wanted it and kept my paints very handy. Now, lets keep in Mind, I donot have custody of any child. The grandson was an occasional visitor, but He he was taught, he had his own paints, leave grannies alone. I would like to know how those with youngsters handle thier paints and how those with grandchildren handle the situation.
Again lets keep in mind, that We are not talking cleaning chemicals, fixatives, or any type of additives. Just the basic tubes of paint and the fact that most of my paints have the non toxic label on them. Some have the california label but lets keep in mind I live in Texas so that label doesn't apply here.
I would appreciate any comments anyone would like to input here as how they handle their art paint and the children in their lives.

[orchid127]

I have two young granddaughters that live in my house but not my apt.
My studio is off my bedroom. They have known from the beginning that
they are not allowed in the studio unless they ask or nana is painting with
them. They use acrylics which are kept in their own area in my studio so when they want to paint they go only to this area. They do not go near
my supplies.

Pat

[nancy_ellen56]

Thank you for responding. That is the same with my grandson, he wouldn't touch but he would look. Of course he was never alone with the paints either, but because I refused to be a free baby sitter for the ex daughter n law or stand back and watch her abuse the child, she file a report with childrens protective services and because they couldn't find what they were looking for they landed on my paints being out in the open, hollered they were toxic and could poison the child. I was just wondering if my methods were so unlike others.

[talesien]

I keep my kids ina constant state of fear :) (j/k)

I think that the best thing to do, if possible, is to have an area for your studio that is "off limits". My studio has a lock on the door, and if I'm not it in, it is locked. If I'm in it, the kids know better than to come in.

Gary

[bionicanaconda]

Judges aren't idiots. They have seen it all before. Nothing has happened so I would think there is no cause for concern. IMHO

[foxy_feline]

I don't have kids, but sometimes a friend will bring her daughter around, and all I can say is, unless you've got the toxic/sharp/otherwise dangerous stuff up high where it can't be reached by small hands, or locked in a cabinet, it's probably wise to put a lock on the door. You might never have to use it, but if you want to impress child services, it probably will help.

[gunzorro]

There is nothing in the studio that is likely to cause immediate peril to a child. It's not like rat poison, Drano, bleach, insecticide or anti-freeze (among hundreds of potential household poisons). Even lead paint would likely only be injested from fingers being put into the mouth, and exposure would have to be repeated quite often to cause poisoning -- long before that, it would be noticed that Jr. has paint on his hands and face, and not be allowed to continue without discipline.
The painting studio is generally safe, so long as you keep matches and fire-making materials out of reach. Knives and razor blades should be kept out of reach as well. Usually the worst you would have to deal with is a mess to clean up if the kids play with the art supplies.
Follow the 3 B's of child rearing: no barbiturates, no bear traps and no blasting caps. ;)

[Felica Keech-Smith]

My studio is in an area labeled "game room" on our plans, therefore, has no door, but, I taught my 8 year old that my room was OFF limits completely unless I was there. (My grown kids were taught the same thing in the houses they grew up in)And, anyone else visiting is not even allowed in there. (I guess I used the fear tactic a bit.) Plus, I lectured every child who came ."so.. what are the rules upstairs?".."we know, we know, not allowed in your room and not in the guest room" (I like that to stay nice so it doesn't have to be fixed up if anyone comes to stay). But, those kids have 2 rooms and a small hallway to play in, so, they have plenty of room. If little ones come (under 4) I try to be up there with them. Of course, my 8 year old can be pretty commanding to a point they almost see an invisible wall at the doorway of my studio..lol.

All of the years of my grown kids I never had to worry with kids getting in to my stuff (in fact, my daughter, who's 27, still gets nervous around it for some reason..lol). I guess I got the point across to them.

Felica

[chewie]

i have 2 kids, almost 12 and 10, and they know not to go in, also this applies to husbands! my husband is actually the worst offender--if he wants tape, ruler, knife, well, hey! wifey's got that in that little room! grrr! i have threatened a lock on the door, but truthfully, i'd hate to have to deal with it, as i go in and out several times per day. the worst part tho. is if he decides what i am working on it something he wants to show off--and i'm not ready for it to be seen yet. its way in the back of my basement, too, so there is my laundry mess, the kids' play room, ugh, just not for visitors at all. so nobody is allowed in there, unless i'm there, and even then, maybe not.

[Shadia]

Hi, sorry about that Nancy. Many painters print the data sheet about their paints when travelling by plane. Maybe it would be a good thing to do it as a reference. You say that the problem is not about solvents or else, so I assume those are well locked and out of reach.
I wish you luck, and hope that the situation finds a happy ending. For me, all my kids are grown ups, (24-23-19) but they don't dare touch anything! ;)
In fact, I'm more worried about my sewing needles and little seed beads to be dangerous than about my oil painting stuff!!! Also, if someday I'm a grandma!!! I will make sure that my studio is really off limits. I really don't want to have to lock everything up when I'm not painting!

Shadia

[nancy_ellen56]

Well, thanks everyone for your input. I really didn't think I had done anything wrong. Anyhow, doesn't really matter. Grandson is not allowed in my house cause I told that CPS worker where to go, so she officially found me quilty of physical neglect of the child "failure to provide the proper food, clothing and shelter necessary to sustain life" HaHa, I provided my son with a 3 bedroom home to raise his child in, I do not have custody of nor did I want custody of the child. I already raised mine. Anyhow my son has been put on Notice that if the child ever comes to my home again he will have criminal charges brought against him, meanwhile she can do whatever harm she wants to the child and get off scott free. Me, I just have to repeatedly try to make the child understand that granny still loves him, he just can't come over to granny's house anymore. What a wonderful messed up country we live in. Anyway I am trying to deal and get back to my painting after a year of not doing any at all. Some how the joy has been stripped from it. Thanks for your input though.

[Garland]

Hi Nancy,

Painting and your Grandson are your bliss is how I see it. Why let anyone strip you of such and the way I see it if you let CPS know you got boundaries that are set up to protect(locks on doors) your children with or with out your presence I think CPS may re-evaluate their position, especially if you show how your boundaries encompass all members in your family.

You could try switching to some of the non-toxic oil paints that are made with Walnut Oil as a binder and switch to Turpnoid Natural and walnut oil for washes etc and then take the bill of your cost to become non-toxic to the CPS worker and tell her if she dont come back & approve your Grandson to visit, then you want your day in court and threaten that you will take her to court! An attorney I am sure would be interested in your case.

[nancy_ellen56]

All my paints are non toxic, they are labled as such, She never even looked at them, the whole thing boils down to the mother doesn't want the child here, my doctor told me if they came back to tell them to get a warant, which I did,
Anyhow, in the state of texas they don't really care about the child being beat or molested by a mother, just don't be a daddy or a member of the daddy's family.
we are in court, but when you are on the daddy's side it is awful hard to get anyone to do a thing, even the lawyer you are paying.
Any how I have removed everything from my home that I ever got for my grandson and given it to his dad, I just got to get my self back to painting again somehow.
but thanks for the input.