To think no one helped develop our fine motor skills and we all turned out fine?

[Maybeitstime2021]

Just had a post on my FB with activities to do with your child to develop their fine motor skills before starting school in September, why is this a thing? I’m pretty sure we all learned to do our coats up and hold a pencil ok when we were kids without these activities?

Probably because nowadays the kids are on screens so much. If you don’t encourage them to use their hands they won’t stand a chance when it comes to pencil control.

I used to spend hours playing with plasticine, jigsaws, drawing around stencils and doing tracings as a child in the 70s/80s-doing things like that probably helped!!

If people want to do stuff like this with their kids leave them to it, if you don't care then don't look. It's not really a problem is it?

We did but often these days children don't. They have velcro shoes, elasticated clothes with no buttons. They watch lots of TV instead of climbing trees, colouring in and threading bobbins. There isn't the same level of complex dexterity as there was a few decades ago.

You haven't met my DH When we used to play five a side together, he once jumped up to head the ball, punched himself in the face, gave himself a nosebleed and had to be taken home.

Did you really never draw, play games that involved picking little things up, decorate biscuits, play with play dough, etc? You weren't encouraged to use cutlery? My parents definitely did all of that with us though they didn't call it fine motor skills exercises.

Screens develop fine motor skills too. Just not all that diversely.

When I was little I knew a little boy whose parents never did anything much to give him any skills and the difference was very obvious. I suspect if you ask your parents, they will point out all the things they did that were perfectly normal - baking a cake, painting, whatever. But some people don't think about those things and they might actually need a list.

It’s not anything too hard though. It’s playing with play doh, bunchems etc to really build up muscles in their hands.

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

You haven't met my DH When we used to play five a side together, he once jumped up to head the ball, punched himself in the face, gave himself a nosebleed and had to be taken home.

In addition to what everyone else has posted about lifestyles/activities changing, the school curriculum has changed lots too and they start learning to wrote at a younger age than we did in the 80s.

I used to spend hours playing with plasticine, jigsaws, drawing around stencils and doing tracings as a child in the 70s/80s-doing things like that probably helped!!

Second this, I grew up with this too, it was very common then, not so much now. I remember my Son being at nursery and his teacher noticing very early on that he was struggling with his pencil etc and suggested I try and engage him with the above. He hated it all, my daughter loved it and in comparison and her handwriting etc is much stronger.

So may be the activities mentioned above do have benefits in strengthening fine motor skills and may be they are activities that younger generations just don't do as much?

Yes I know we all played with toys that would develop our fine motor skills, but so do kids now surely? In fact they have a much wider range of toys than we ever did.

It just seams like another thing to make us worry about - I can’t find the post now but none of the activities were for example play doh, it was putting small stones onto ice cube trays and other random things.

And is having handwriting that’s not very neat in nursery going to prevent you achieving your academic potential?

I think motherhood has been turned into a profession and the stuff that previous generations used to do in a more laid back organic way is now given a label and closely scrutinised and monitored. Fine motor skills. Speaking and listening skills. Social skills. And so on.

Is it a good or bad development? I don't know but it can lead to a lot of angst.

Years ago they assumed parents were preparing their children for school but alas some parents to not teach them basic skills. My friend teaches reception and every year they have one or two kids who are in nappies (not special needs), can't use cutlery or a hold a pencil, unable to do up their coat or put on shoes BUT can operate a mobile phone and computer. Basic social skills need to be spelt out for those families. My friend is a teacher, if they have to to these basic things that are normal for 4 year olds to do themselves they aren't teaching the class.

Yes I know we all played with toys that would develop our fine motor skills, but so do kids now surely? In fact they have a much wider range of toys than we ever did

As an EYFS teacher, I would say they don’t, on the whole. Most are excellent at using tablets and their parents’ phones and some are keen on Lego or colouring, but quite often, that’s about it.

Sadly I have taught plenty of children in year 1 who never play with any of these sorts of things at home. Plenty of children who aren't allowed to cut and stick, use playdough or paint etc at home because it is 'too messy'.

Many children have hardly held a crayon or a pencil before school, and - as others have said - the advent of screens has given some children only one specialised form of dexterity which doesn't lead naturally into pencil control.

Outdoor play (dighing, hanging from bars, bashing things, sweeping) strengthens the arms and all the things school has listed will help develop the strength and dexterity for a comfortable firm tripod grip to write.

Your chold may well have been doing al those things from the moment they were capable, but you can't blame the school for trying to make sure all children have the same opportunities if their parents had not thought to provide them.

I think the idea is that if children already have good fine motor skills it frees up their brains to concentrate on other stuff. Like if you’re learning to ride a bike or swim, and you already have good gross motor skills, it comes a lot faster than if you don’t.

How are ideas that will help your child refine any kind of skill a bad thing?

@OutwiththeOutCrowd

I think motherhood has been turned into a profession and the stuff that previous generations used to do in a more laid back organic way is now given a label and closely scrutinised and monitored. Fine motor skills. Speaking and listening skills. Social skills. And so on.

Is it a good or bad development? I don't know but it can lead to a lot of angst.

Yes I agree, there’s so much pressure on what you ‘should’ be doing.

My DS had to attend extra fine motor skills classes - we did lots of drawing, crafting etc. He wasn't on screens at all as he didn't have one. All the health checks he had said his fine motor skills were above average. They said he needed it as his handwriting was was poor. It is, a bit like mine. My fine motor skills are great by the way but handwriting has always been shite!

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

You haven't met my DH When we used to play five a side together, he once jumped up to head the ball, punched himself in the face, gave himself a nosebleed and had to be taken home.

I know you’re being lighthearted, but it sounds like your DH struggles with gross motor skills, not fine motor skills

Children dont play outside the way we did. The world has changed dramatically since you were a child. Second the poster about preschool. A quarter now show up with the developmental skills of a 2 year old, many not toilet trained and no additional needs

@girlmom21

How are ideas that will help your child refine any kind of skill a bad thing?

It’s not the ideas themselves it’s that no one told our parents to do it, grandparents etc to do it, perhaps I’m underestimating the impact that screens have.

@Maybeitstime2021 nobody told them not to take us to pubs where everyone was smoking indoors either. Times change.