4 year old - Drawing

[skewiff]

DS is just 4 and enjoys doing bits of painting and drawing - but never sticks at it for more than a few minutes.

He still is doing real baby strokes and scribbles with both paint and pens. I have never seen him attempt to draw a person or car or object ...

When I've asked him to put legs on my drawing of a person he has been able to and also been able to sort of attempt to put eyes and a mouth on. But he often seems really reluctant to even try (as though he feels he'll get it wrong).

I've never been pushy about drawing - just tried to encourage it now and again and I'd never do anything like say 'that's wrong'.

I feel it is important to learn this skill though - isn't it? Isn't it a precursor to writing or something like that???

How would you go about trying to teach/ encourage a 4 year old to draw actual things - as opposed to just quick scribbling?

I often join in with him, and he seems to like us drawing or painting something together - but I always end up painting the things and then have to encourage him to try (rather than just watch) and then he'll do a scribble and say 'this is my tractor' etc

Am I overworrying or should he be able to draw by now?

No idea if this would work but can you try colouring in books? Then he can't really get it wrong but might start to enjoy it more. Or those books you can get where you finish the picture off from the few lines that they've already drawn?

I think they all develop at different stages and maybe he'd just rather be doing other things, I wouldn't worry. I bet he'll come on really quickly when he starts school.

Yes, I've tried colouring books. He's not interested at all. If he has a go, it is really quick scribbling again and not within the lines. Its like I am asking him to do something like maths, something really hard and boring, and he can't be bothered.

I haven't tried the dotted lines things - if that is what you mean? Maybe its something else. I think I've been steering clear of trying anything really because he seems so resistant and bored by it all and I just don't want to put him off altogether. That's what usually happens if I do persist with anything

I hope school can do something for him - just worried that he'll be totally resistant and bored by other kinds of activities/work too!

My DS is 5 in April and has only recently started drawing 'proper' objects. In fac his little sister who's only 3 is a much better drawer but she cant do half the stunts he can !

It happened really quickly and christmasmum is right school will help him massively.

BTW I dont know if its a boy / girl thing but my 2 girls love drawing writing etc but Sam is sooo not bothered and if you say do my apicture he will always do a spider (circle 8 stick legs) so he can get back to beig a pirate / ben 10 etc.

Have you stolen my son?
And mine has no excuse because he's been in school since he was 3! (french system)

Turned 4 in September and has literally and I mean this week started showing an interest in it, probably 2 others in his class who are similar and all the rest are happily drawing away and even writing. I did the usual parental shame bit and spoke to his teacher who was very realxed and said its as much physical as it is mental. He simply needed to build up his fingers - both skill and strength.

Some tips are cutting with scissors helps strengthen their fingers so in a way thats better than colouring. And what really worked for me was printing off pictures from the web that he liked - spiderman, firemen and fire engines. And even then I set an expectation of 10 minutes max before he jumped up and was off. But if I'm honest it wasn't anything I did - it just happened and this week he came home with a picture of a lion done "all by myself mummy" - I confess my eyes welled up !

Like Vicbar my 2 year old daughter is at least the same level or better than him already. And in general the girls in his class appear ahead as well. So maybe a girl thing but also I think a younger sibling thing - she wants to do it because she sees me with him.

Thank you!

I feel more reassured already.

I will try the scissor thing and also pictures off the internet - maybe (although instinctively feel this is not the way to go yet ...).

I'll try to stop worrying. I agree I think it is a boy/girl thing - however many boys in DS's nursery seem into drawing, at least a little bit if not a lot ...