Shapes and colours!!

[bobsi]

Hello Mums,

My ds is 2.9 and I'm beginning to get a tad concerned that he doesn't know his colours and shapes despite massive effort in trying to teach him.
He can talk reasonably well in sentences although quite babyish a lot of the time, he makes attempts at counting to ten, has mastered most animal noises and knows a hammer from a screwdriver.
He is really really active and loves to climb and jump on anything whenever he can.
I really struggle to get him to sit still and look at a book for very long and actual stories are just pointless. He just won't sit still.
Is this normal for some children/boys. My daughter was doing shapes/colours/talking/listening to long books before she was two.
I have really tried not to compare them but thought he would be doing these things by now.
Somebody please reassure me :)

Totally normal IMO. Do a reverse comparison of how physically able your DD was at this age.

DNephews were all like this at your DS's age. They are all bright, happy children who are doing really well at school.

My own DS was much quieter and enjoyed sitting down activities, but I think he is the exception rather than the rule. And he has found it quite hard to make friends at school as he has no interest in wrestling or shooting games!

HTH

bobsi - "...despite massive effort in trying to teach him".

Do you not think therein lies your problem?

Ah, thank you ballstoit, it does help :)

I haven't posted on Mumsnet for over a year as I got fed up with people attacking all the time rather than helping.

Lovecheese, your comment is a typical Mumsnet comment, not encouraging or reassuring at all. I am a normal Mum and was only trying to point out that I have shown an interest in trying to teach him rather than no effort at all.

Good to see my opinion of Mumsnet has not altered.

Bobsi, your DS is similar to mine in that he counts, can say colour names but doesn't actually know his colours atm. He doesn't know shapes either. I'm not concerned. I haven't made a massive effort teaching him either.

I'm finding things like that came quicker to DD1 than DS but then whenever I've had similar conversations, it appears that the girls tend to pick it up quicker than the boys.

I would wait until he shows an interest in it before "teaching" him any more of it. That way it is more likely to stick IYSWIM

It sounds like he is just interested in different things. Also, are you sure he doesn't know them? My DD is just 2 - you wouldn't think she knew any colours if you were relying on asking her - she just won't play ball. But she occasionally surprises me by saying, 'oh, that's the green one' - so she does know them but just won't perform on cue. I don't think she knows that many colours or shapes, having said that.

bobsi, I meant what I said from the angle of maybe you are trying too hard to teach him; he realises this and so resists. I have this with my 9 year-old daughter, who always sees through my "Fun" ideas for getting her to learn her times tables! My comment was not intended to cause offence.

Get him the Barnys Shapes and Colour DVD .... Did the trick for us. Otherwise, let it go as not important and his not ready to learn it yet.

I too think it's quite normal for boys. Both my two were as you describe. I'm sure he'll come it when he's ready.

My DS1 like books but was still more interested in things that "roared". DS2 never sits down and wouldn't look at a book for longer than 2 minutes. He's 3.10 now and has just begun to enjoy the books he chooses for himself (they invariably have either trains or dinosaurs in them)

Don't worry.

OP, there are some iPhone/iPad apps (American-voiced, sadly) that are games for toddlers to help learn their shapes and colours, etc.

Search for "Toddler Teasers". My DD is 2.6 and loves playing them. Every time they get an answer right there is a clapping or cheering sound, and they get "stickers" to put on the screen after every 4-5 correct answers.

Otherwise, don't stress about it!