To think it doesn't matter that DD doesn't hold her pen correctly

[bluebird14]

Handwriting is fine but the teachers seem very fussed about ensuring she holds it correctly. Why is this?

My dd had no problem at school with her weird way of holding her pen, It was only when she was doing exams at university (English) that she realised she could only produce 2/3rds of what others could write. She felt it really held her back.
We have since realised that it was related to hypermobility (diagnosed at 20) and she may have been eligible for extra time in exams.
It is really worth sorting out if possible.

LoveInTokyo Me too! Writing this way has never caused me any problems (even in 3+ hour exams).

I hold mine wrong too (left handed)

I only use my index finger and thumb and keep my hand below the writing line, so almost writing sideways.

I developed this when I switched from pencils (which would smudge all over my little finger as my hand moved across the page and over the writing) which could easily be washed off to pen, which left me with a very fetching permanent inky blotch all up the side of my hand.

My teacher gave me all sorts of jib for my wrong pen grip so I switched back.

Then I got in trouble for having illegible work because the pen had smeared across the page before it had dried, so despite my reasonably neat handwriting, my work was almost completely unreadable.

She decided that perhaps it was best that I used the pen grip I found most comfortable after all after that debacle.

My friend held her pen a really weird way - it lead to repetitive strain injury and she ended up with a wrist support and pen grips at 17. And yes, it did cause probs at A levels. She still has to be careful of that wrist now (in her 40s).

Point is, no one here can say either that it will be OK or that it won't because we can't see how she's holding it and I guess few of us would be qualified to advise even if we were. I think you should be open to the idea tat it might be a problem and get some proper advice. We found pen grips really helped with ds2 - he fussed at first but it only took a few weeks of insisting for him to get the hang of it (he was 7).

I hold my pen weird too.

Can write for hours with my grip, can't get comfy with a standard grip.

The teachers kept trying to change me, so I obliged. They told me my handwriting was appalling, so I changed back to 'my' way and they shut up about it.

FWIW I have very nice handwriting.

29 here, hold my pen all sorts of weird. Never had a problem with extended writing in exams, never had a problem with neatness or legibility. There are, imo, more important things to worry about!

A traditional tripod grip is deemed the most efficient due to how the muscles all work together. Some other grips still work just as well, whereas others can cause strain and muscle fatigue

this is a brilliant article that talks through different pencil grips from on OT perspective

when to fix a pencil grip

I agree that it may cause further problems down the line and that it's probably safest not to risk leaving it. Pen grips could help, there is also a way to make a simple pen grip with a rubber band. I'd also look at getting her to fiddle with silly putty/play dough etc a lot, as this will strengthen the muscles in the hand which will increase her stability.

I'll never forget the asshole year 5 teacher I had who kept trying to correct me when no one else had bothered before, or has since. She was a right nasty witch about it. Now 27 years old I regularly receive compliments on my handwriting and all through my school life was picked out constantly by teachers to come and write on the board because I had the neatest writing.

I say leave her be, it has no bearing whatsoever on anything.

This is one of the thing that bugs me about primary schools it's all about the right pen grip, the right style of writing. Then your child goes to high school and they get told that they don't care how they write, hold their pen as long as the teachers can read it.

My eldest had terrible handwriting at primary school because of this, I did recognise her hand writing at high school, because it was so much neater and not bloody cursive.

DD2 has lovely writing school keep going on at her that she won't pass her 'SATS' next year because she doesn't write cursive or joined up.

And as for my DS he has hyper mobility in his hands has terrible writing but the school will not let him use his 'swan necked' pens which make his writing so much neater and are easier for him to use as he can keep a steady pressure for longer then using a HB pencil.

My eldest had terrible handwriting at primary school because of this, I did NOT recognise her hand writing at high school, because it was so much neater and not bloody cursive.

Thank you waterlemon.

I now know that I have a quadropod grasp, which doesn’t seem so bad! Never knew there was a technical term for it.

BillywigSting your teacher should have told you to angle your paper with top left corner furthest away from you to avoid the smudging. Teachers don't seem to be taught how to teach us lefties how to write.

I hold my pen the same way as the first picture in the link @waterlemon shared. Glad to know I'm not the only one!