I have a project with an MDI form
The MDI form has a menu on the top.
When the user selects a menu item, a child form opens.

There are many menu items and therefore many child forms.

Now, I need to place a few controls on the MDI form for example a few command buttons and one or two checkboxes.
But, the MDI form does not accept these controls.

I tried to put a Picturebox on the MDI form and put those commandbuttons and checkboxes on the Picturebox.
But this resulted in wasting the part of the screen covered by the Picturebox !!!!!!

The Picturebox sticks to the top of the MDIForm and takes one third of the height of the MDI Form.
That one third of the surface of the MDI form is now out of bounds for child forms.
When the user clicks on a menu item to open a child form, that child form, now opens BELOW the picturebox !!!!!!
And when I use my mouse to drag the child form, the child form can be dragged further down, but cannot be dragged upwards to cover the picturebox.

Even something like this in the child form:
Code:
Private Sub Form_Load()
   Me.Top = 0
   ......
End Sub
Doesn't make any difference.

The area covered by the Picturebox is a dead zone !!!!!!

How can I put some controls on an MDI form (whether directly on the MDI Form, or on a picturebox or any other container) so that that area would not be blocked for other forms.

Please help.
Thanks.