Jake's new habit

In Jake's room, we painted one of the walls with chalkboard paint. It's really cool, and he loves actually being ALLOWED to draw on the wall. It took him a few accidents in the other parts of the house for him to learn that his room is the only place he can do this, but he's definitely got the hang of it now.

Anyway, he has just recently started giving up his naps. Since I was neither mentally or emotionally prepared for this transition, we now have Quiet Time instead of naptime. Same length of time in his room, but just without the sleeping. And evidently from the noise he makes, the "quiet" part is also optional.

Several times now, he has come downstairs after quiet time with his face covered in chalk. I couldn't figure out what he could be doing or why he was writing on his face until I walked in on him one day LICKING the chalkboard. I about flipped. Surely, this can't be healthy, right? I mean, he draws on the wall in blue chalk, licks the chalkboard (evidently simply erasing just doesn't do it for him), and then comes downstairs with everything from his nose down caked in chalk.

So today, I had him look at himself in the mirror thinking this would deter the habit. Wrong. He cracked up laughing. "Mommy, I have chalk all over my face!" Well of course you do honey, that's what happens when you LICK THE CHALKBOARD.