Was your 2 year old obsessed with drawing?

[MrsJamin]

DS2 (2.3) is simply obsessed with drawing, he draws for at least 2 hours a day, and has tantrums when he can't draw. Did yours do this? Does it mean he will be into drawing later or is it just that he can't do other things very well?! He won't really be read to, and is only just putting 2 words together. He only draws with his left hand.

No. None of them.

DS is 2.5 and loves drawing and 'writing' its just his thing at the moment.

DS1 was a bit like this, we got through reams of paper, but he never really had tantrums. He is also a left hander and now, at 6, draws lots of (increadibly detailed) pictures every day, but without the same need to get things onto paper, but is very creative with lego models, junk models etc. He writes quite well, but dislikes doing so.
Unlike your DS though, he loved stories and was very verbal very early.
Maybe it's your DS best way of expressing himself?

Interesting wearymum200, we just get through ridiculous amounts of paper. He is mostly quite an anxious "highly responsive" kind of a child who screams when the phone rings or the doorbell is rung or his older brother enters the room so I wonder whether it's a way to just calm himself down or feel in control of something. In some ways it strikes me as kind of odd especially as he's a boy.

yes absolutely, my daughter is now 6 and still draws all the time. our kitchen table is the studio- a mass of paper, crayons, markers, pens... just wait til he gets into glitter!!!

oh, and yes, tantrums, especially if she is trying to do something and hasn't finished.. or something hasn't worked out quite how she wanted... temperamental artist....

my DS ,2.6, loves to draw and we have 'trained' him that crayons are kept on the dining table and nowhere else so we don't have to keep putting them away all the time and to sto phim doing things like leaving one on a window sill to melt in the sun (!) or drawing on walls. they are on the table in a pot with a load of paper and colouring books and he climbs up into the (adult) chair at least 4 times a day to draw anything from 10mins to 30mins+ at a time, quite concentrated for his age. we get through loooads of paper. He has had great fine motor skills from early on so has been holding crayons and pencils really well for ages, I'd say he has been drawing well for about a year and a half and now he can draw near-perfect circles, lines, zig-zags, dots, bumpy lines and 'up and downs' and tells me what they all are, even trying to draw a face lately since I did one last week (in a circle today "two eyes, one eye, ano'er eye, a mout an a nose" quietly as he's drawing it!! freaks me out) and he can correctly name all the colours of the crayons. I have no idea if he will keep this particular interest but I wouldnt mind as its really nice to see him doing it! :)

PS oh yes and if I tried to stop him climbing up to his 'drawing place' I would get a major meltdown and "craydies craaaaaaydies craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaydies" so I do pull the door shut on that room if we're dressing to go out somewhere with a deadline as I may end up waiting with my coat on in the hall........ ah the toddler is king haha

Ah your DS sounds really similar! Does he use his left hand too? DS drew concentric circles the other day and said "snail!" then drew some "eyes", it's so lovely to see him be good at something when he doesn't talk brilliantly and his emotions are like a roller coaster!

at "snail". thats interesting - mine seems to draw slightly more with right hand altho he does both and my dad is ambidextrous (I'm lefthanded). Also, my DS was only just putting 2 words together at 2.3 and is doing 4 word sentences/saying now at 2.6 which is a relief, he's starting to catch up to his peers a bit with speech, its come in a bit of a burst the last 3 months. :) He's quite emotional too, but is calming down a little now that he can tell me what he wants "I go out now?" etc. He can still get upset at the drop of a hat and has no patience but then he is still very little I suppose! He likes numbers as well at the moment, can count to 20 (but leaves out 13!!!!) and this morning he has drawn a line with a swerve at the top and said to me "number 7!" - eeeek... :)

PS my sis-in-law used to teach primary and her jaw dropped to see him doing (and saying) zig-zags the other day, said that most 5year olds wouldnt be able to do that, ???? I think its just different interests for different kids though as well isnt it, after all I couldnt 'make' him draw if he didnt love it.

does your little one like "squiggle" on cbeebies????

oh and mine also has a etch-a-sketch, very very good for travelling! 7hour train last year was taken up mostly with etch-a-sketching... :)

Yes, my dd has always been into drawing. (Well since 2, I'd say). She still loves it. I let her just draw and colour as she likes not make her draw specific things. She still can't draw people, but the way she uses colour and shapes is amazing. I love her pics. Ds1 is similar but got into it a bit later (about 5yrs). His pics are similarly amazing and 'tell stories' rather than 'this is a house' type of pics. He also uses colour brilliantly!

No but my 2 year old had an obsession with pirates that nearly drove me to the edge.

I think obsessive behaviour in 2 year olds is quite common. I'm pleased to say that at 4 he now tells me he's isn't to bothered about pirates but it really was that bad, it stopped him from doing other normal things and was definitely verging on OCD. Be glad it's drawing at least it keeps him occupied, I had to dress as a pirate and talk pirate for a good year

Have you had SALT referral? We did with ds and it was very reassuring.

Mine did for years, happily sit for hours on end with anything arts or crafts, especially drawing & painting & could draw recognisable things at that age too

She's now 9, considered "gifted" with arts & crafts, but its now really hard to get her to do anything like this at home - something that really saddens me as I can teach her a lot, but she doesn't want to know - sadder still is the fact with any creative homework, getting her to start it is a nightmare, but when she does, she LOVES it & to see the buzz she gets from being pleased with her work is lovely - she'll still fight tooth & nail not to start the next one though

& YES to the tantrums too, she still does it now when she does anything creative - lots of throwing brushes down & screwing up her work because SHE feels its not good enough & don't dare stop her for bed time - like the others say "temperamental artistic personality" -
she was an early talker too though, so not the same as your DS in that, but they all vary with milestones :)

Sorry fighting Migraine, so being a real dozy moo today & not reading properly -

Mine was left handed back then, was both for a while & is now very much right handed.

Very interesting about the snail though, that was the first really recognisable thing my DD ever drew too - freaked us out as she was 16 months at the time, :)

No he HATES drawing, but he loves writing and at very nearly 3 can write some words. He won't draw for anything though!

No, my 2.5 year old does not seem to be interested in drawing or painting or anything arty. He prefers to be outside on his trycicle-he would be outside all the time if he could! I guess they are all different!