Dear DryErase Marker Manufacturers

Dear Dry Erase Marker Manufacturers,

I used to think your product was completely amazing.  I mean really, who wouldn't love markers that can be erased off of glass, boards, laminated worksheets, mirrors and many other places?  You really have some smart folks working hard in the concept area.  Honestly though, I have to truthfully tell you that the love for your product has worn off in a big way.  It's now more of a love/hate relationship that I hold with your product.  I know you would really love to know why, so let me share how I really feel.

The reason I used to love your product is because typically the usage of your product was entirely under my own control.  Now, well, your product has entered my childrens' Kindergarten class.  Have you ever set foot in a kindergarten class and watched 5 and 6 year olds as they color and write? They DO get up and walk around while paying complete inattention to what is in their hand and how close they come to their peers while walking around with a dry erase marker in their hand.  Proximity means NOTHING to them!  Nor does it matter how close their peers are sitting next to them.  Sharing is encouraged in class and it appears that includes stray dry erase markers on clothes.  Did you know that dry erase markers DO NOT come out of clothes.  Especially jeans my son wears (and cute clothes my daughter, on occasion wears) to school.

Now, I do understand that my kids should be wearing clothes to school that are 'OK' to get dirty.  But really, I do not have a closet filled with ratty tshirts and ratty jeans that they can just wear to trash, especially seeing as one of them is a girl!    'Dirty' and 'ruin' have 2 completely different meanings! Although, ironically, I do have a collection starting that might foot that bill. Thanks to your product and errant arm motions of kindergartners, my kids have now ruined at LEAST 5 shirts a piece and several pairs of pants.  If you ever want to see a crazy woman, come to my house after I find the 7th pair of pants in as many weeks marked with your NON-WASHABLE DRY ERASE MARKERS.  Crazy like a fox, mad as a hatter, steamed.  I think you get the picture.

I beg you to put some of your smarts towards creating WASHABLE dry erase markers and please, while you're at it, make them affordable.  Our schools ask us to provide a plethora of them at the beginning of the school year...it adds up.  If you by chance have any contacts with the folks that manufacture paints for public schools, perhaps you can share this letter with them as well.  The washability of their product is nearly as flawed as yours!

Sincerely,
A mother who is tired of stains I can't get out of my kids clothes!