Parent Not Allowing 4-Year-Old to Paint at School Due to 'Mess' Slammed

Commenters online have slammed a mother who doesn't want her child painting at school anymore because the paint on his clothes won't wash away completely and she "can't afford to keep replacing his uniform."

In a post shared Tuesday on U.K.-based forum Mumsnet, the mom, under the username Blomonge, said her 4-year-old son has come home twice with paint on his white shirt that she can't remove. For this reason, she's planning on asking the teachers to not let him paint again.

The poster said: "I've washed them repeatedly, used Vanish, used whitening sachets, and in the end I soaked them in neat bleach. Even after two days in neat bleach, the paint has not fully come off!" When she complained to the school, it dismissed her concerns, saying that the paint is washable and that nobody else had complained.

According to housekeeping tips blog House Practical, washable paint will come off clothes when it's wet. That's because it's water-based, so using soap and water can remove the paint before it dries. But after the paint has dried, some colors may be difficult to get out of clothing, although multiple washes will usually remove the stain.

The blog suggests first washing the clothing item with hot water and laundry detergent before soaking it in stain remover. Then use rubbing alcohol to diminish the stain before washing. If it's a white shirt, the blog suggests using bleach to get out the stain, or hydrogen peroxide if you prefer milder substances.

Among the 528 users who left comments on the Mumsnet thread, most thought the poster was being unreasonable in keeping her child from painting because she wants him to look neat.

One user, EscapeRoomToTheSun, commented: "Send him in the paint shirt my god." And Shinyandnew1 suggested: "Send him in with an old shirt to wear for painting!"

Another user, XelaM, wrote: "You're bonkers (in the nicest possible way). What's the big deal if he has a stain on his white shirt? Uniforms never stay pristine, especially not at 4!"

And greensnail wrote: "Just send him in the paint-stained shirt and don't be ridiculous."

Keyansier commented: "This is weird to me. Surely you'd notice all the other 4-year-old children coming out with paint splashed all over their clothes if this was happening? Are you sure you used the Vanish properly, or that your washing machine isn't faulty? I don't know why schools would purposely use non-washable paint but say it's washable."

Another user, Johnnysgirl, pointed out: "Don't be daft. As if they'd make him sit out painting to keep his shirt clean!"

GoodVibesHere said: "He's 4 years old, let him paint, let him enjoy life! Seriously, it honestly doesn't matter if his tops are a bit paint-stained. It'll fade anyway after a few washes. Can you imagine making him stand and watch while the rest of the class participates?"

BamBamBilla wrote: "You want to stop him developing his learning, coordination, creating skills and general play time just so he looks neat and tidy?"

Newsweek was not able to verify the details of the case.