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Physically slow child - normal??

33 replies

aloha · 14/10/2003 15:00

Please be kind, feeling very fluey and tearful today and after a good start ds isn't settling at all at nursery. But what I wanted to ask was, ds is now two. I'm not worried about his intelligence - he talks well and communicates well. BUT he looks and physically behaves like a much younger child. It really stands out at nursery. He's quite short for his age, and a bit chubby, nothing to worry about according to the HV, but he finds everything physical very difficult. He takes ages to scramble up a slope that younger children whizz up. He doesn't jump or run properly - actually he can't do either of those things. He can't put on items of clothing (though is making attemps with shoes) and doesn't make towers of bricks etc. He finds even stepping off the kerb or down shallow steps very hard and still goes up the stairs on all fours (and comes down them backwards). He has enormous trouble using a spoon. He just seems much more clumsy and physically hesitant that other children. He's always been slow-ish to reach physical milestones but can walk etc so it might seem really self-indulgent to worry when so many people have bigger worries...but...being a boy I do worry that he will always be physically behind and live a life of misery because of it! Does anyone have a child who went from clumsy to adept, or can suggest anything to help him improve his physical skills?

OP posts:
Blu · 15/10/2003 14:42

I was cross-posting, Aloha: It's my bottom percentile typing ability holding me back!

aloha · 15/10/2003 14:58

Funnily enough Blu, I was in Dulwich village yesterday (ran away to have my eyebrows waxed as after weeks of neglect I looked like Honey Monster) and wrote down the tumble tots number. however, I used to take him to the baby gym thing at Camberwell Leisure Centre and he just used to sit down and wait for storytime! I suppose I wasn't the best at encouraging him. My mum's a dance teacher and is better at that stuff, I suppose. I'll delegate maybe? I actually don't mind being rubbish at sports - got my self esteem elsewhere - though it would be nice to be able to pay a game of tennis or stand up on an ice rink, but worry that peer pressure for boys is worse. Another thing I noticed is that all the things the children at nursery do standing up - eg painting, ds does sitting down! He actually goes and gets a chair to sit down in before he starts. Truly, he is his mother's son! (see I'm laughing about it now - I must feel better).

OP posts:
aloha · 15/10/2003 15:00

So would you recommend Tumble Tots for a small, tubby unathletic two year old who likes to sing Old Macdonald and eat biscuits?

OP posts:
Blu · 15/10/2003 15:02

LOL at your DS fetching a chair, reminded me of my young cousin: when he got his first car he kept a bike by the back door to cycle to the garage...he is now wealthy, happy and runs an outdoor pursuits company!

Blu · 15/10/2003 15:05

RE T Tots...probably, cos he wouldn't be racing off and clambering all over the other groups' equipment like all the other little beasts! They do do sitting down and singing for a bit, too!

Bozza · 15/10/2003 15:51

Aloha LOL at the chair for your DS too. At least he shows iniative and lateral thinking. I think if you spoke to your Mum about this she might be quite helpful in encouraging DS and you could take the opportunity to make her feel good about helping you in this area if you expressed it in a certain way!

dinosaur · 15/10/2003 16:11

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

suedonim · 15/10/2003 17:28

Aloha, sorry, I didn't mean to ignore your post!

Two of my children were not 'physical' at that age but they eventually caught up with their peers. DD2 (7yo)still isn't wonderful - I took her to a playground recently and that was about the first time I hadn't had to hold her hand on everything! I also worried myself silly because at age 5 she couldn't go up and down stairs one foot at a time, rather than two feet on each step, iykwim. She managed it eventually, and now, although she isn't athletic, I'm sure she is within the normal range. I'm absolutely certain none of my children could dress themselves at 2, either. I too believe that children learn in bursts and that they concentrate on one area and then another, with huge leaps forward.

Hope your cold is better - I put whisky into the Lemsip to help me sleep at night!!

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