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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Almost 4 year old's painting

72 replies

sowaddayasay · 03/07/2012 20:56

My little boy will be 4 soon and is very dexterous when manipulating toys and generally physically confident but his paintings are still scribbles and expressive swirls rather than anything that resembles characters. So, no faces or humans or anything that's meant to portray reality. He also has avoided colouring in and yesterday was in tears when he had to do some for nursery.

Would you worry?

Thanks in advance

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CecilyP · 03/07/2012 21:00

No.

oddslippers · 03/07/2012 21:02

My little boy was like this, whilst other children brought home beautiful brought coloured pictures from nursery he came out with a big brown Splodge! However when he did first draw a person it had arms, legs, head, nose eyes ears, feet fingers basically everything almost like he'd decided not to do it until he could do it properly so to speak :o he doesn't often draw now and I have since found him to be colourblind which perhaps explains the brown splodges. To cut a long story short he is doing exceptionally well at school and I really don't think you should worry about your little one

whenyouseeitwaveorcheer · 03/07/2012 21:05

My DD1 is almost 4 and up until recently wasn't drawing very much.

Then I realised that if I coached her how to draw (in a totally hands off way) she could draw loads of things. So I'd say - can you draw a flower? Do a long stalk and put some leaves at the bottom. Now what does it look like at the top? That's good now put some petals on etc etc

and it turns out she could draw loads of stuff, she just needed a little bit of inspiration.

Crossfire · 03/07/2012 21:06

my 3.5 dd paints in swirls but explains what each part is.....so it has meaning to her but is not distinctively anything yet. her preschool have said that they are planning on working on more formation with her. she enjoys what shes doing.
as a comparison her db who is a march baby went into foundation and would scribble aimlessly from side to side and was not the slightest bit even interested in marking...now at the end of foundation does the most beautifully intricate drawings (still with stick people though), writes beautifully and outshines his 8yr old brother in that department so who knows how they develop?? what i do with the three yr old is she draws a head...i do the ears she does the eyes i do a body....she does the hair etc so she is working towards more formed work but feels supported IYSWIM

Cheriefroufrou · 03/07/2012 21:09

nope, my little boy is like this and IMO its is because he's not into art, not everyone is into everything. Unless you have other causes for concern I wouldn't worry about this one thing in isolation

FWIW my father could NEVER draw even simple stick drawings, couldn't do art at all, and was a very high achiever in sport, academically, professionally and socially, and also a very creative carpenter in his spare time so I don't think not being able to free draw is any sort of life limiting thing!

timetosmile · 03/07/2012 21:09

Don't worry at all.

My DS is 5 in a couple of months, and has only just 'got it'...still doesn't like drawing apart from squiggles, but in the past 8 weeks has become a fantastic colourer-inner as long as its a picture of Lightning McQueen

Original poster

sowaddayasay · 03/07/2012 21:16

Thanks everybody, its very reassuring to read your comments, I want to help him and draw more with him but he gets stressed and insists he can't do it and cries.

But it's good to hear that a) he will probably soon "get it" and b) he just may not be artistic

Actually the last bit saddens me a bit as both his dad and I love to draw...

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Cheriefroufrou · 03/07/2012 21:23

yeah me too I love art and imagined myself having lovely artey afternoons when I had children, but its not DS's thing at all! he's into all kinds of other stuff though

IMO if you push it now you'll make him hate it forever, leave it be, there's no NEED to free draw in life, but if you force the issue now he's less likely to ever enjoy it

Original poster

sowaddayasay · 03/07/2012 23:16

agree with you Cheriefroufrou, I try not pushing him but I hope he eventually sees the creative light! :)

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Galena · 04/07/2012 08:21

We spent a long time drawing cat faces for DD and she would draw eyes, nose and mouth. Now, suddenly (at 3.2) will draw people with lots of features, animals, etc. But it's something that has always interested her - she has a physical disability so can't do the running and jumping, etc, but has always loved sitting down and colouring, etc.

BikeRunSki · 04/07/2012 08:29

DS will be 4 in Sept and is still very much of the brown splodge school of art.

Timandra · 04/07/2012 08:32

The only thing I'd be concerned about is that he 'had' to do it in nursery.

ShotgunNotDoingThePans · 04/07/2012 08:37

I have to say that I'd be wondering why he'd been reduced to tears over this at nursery. Nothing a child does at that age is so important that he should be crying over it.
He'll be fine, btw - one of mine always avoided the 'creative' table at playgroup, and has turned out to be just Not Artistic (like his dad). It does get on my nerves when they're so proscriptive about it, as well: 'no, the eyes go here.' Try telling that to Picasso .

Original poster

sowaddayasay · 04/07/2012 09:20

BikeRunSki, maybe your DS and mine should form their own art movement!

Timandra and Shotgun, he cried at home, when he faced his homework (colouring in) and we encouraged him and helped him, thankfully it wasn't a negative episode at the nursery...

Galena, I will try that again, the last time I tried to draw together with DS, he only wanted me to draw everything, and would resist drawing a nose or an eye or anything that would follow some kind of instruction.

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GnocchiNineDoors · 04/07/2012 09:25

What about getting a Magna Doodle....he can learn to draw shapes etc amd just rub it out if its not right.

Original poster

sowaddayasay · 04/07/2012 10:00

we do have those wipe clean books...but he sort of rushes to finish them and doesn't want to repeat or try doing the shapes on his own!

he's a great climber and brilliant on his scooter :)

...I think I just have to gently encourage him to draw more but accept he's more of an athlete than an artist.

OP posts:

Timandra · 04/07/2012 11:11

... I think I just have to gently encourage him to draw more but accept he's more of an athlete than an artist.

I wouldn't.

If you want him to develop the fine motor skills he needs for drawing give him something else he wants to do like playdough, cutting and sticking, jigsaws, etc instead.

If the nursery send homework that he doesn't want to do then don't ask him to do it. Leave it altogether or let him choose an alternative he enjoys instead.

ShotgunNotDoingThePans · 04/07/2012 11:15

I agree with this ^^.
Nothing to be gained by perservering, however gently, when a child just isn't interested/ready. They all find their measure in the end.

TheEnthusiasticTroll · 04/07/2012 11:24

I would keep an eye on this actual I know a child in y1 who as you describe physically seems ok with motor skills and dexterity, his marks on paper were as you describe, he is 6 next month so just leaving y1 ( the youngest in class) and he is unable to write. There is no explinantion and no support availible to him. The teachers are not sure why and so relectant to investigate and the GP is not alarmed and says he is young it will "click" in good time.

dont like to scaremounger but I would just monitor how hw progresses.

Original poster

sowaddayasay · 04/07/2012 11:44

Timandra and Shotgun, I get you and appreciate what you mean. I guess I think that if he sees us doing more drawing and he's invited rather than "why don't you draw" it may make it a bit more everyday and less stressful.

The thing is, he has the skills as he is great with puzzles, he figures out how toys work etc (though he' impatient with small legos). It's more of a fear of not doing it just right that scares him. And all he really wants to do is smash his toycars around or watch a film...he does love having stories read to him and "reads" his comic books too. He is proud of his doodles, but has a very short attention span, so anything that requires concentration (like colouring in) upsets him.

It worries me that he's starting reception in September and he'll be one of the younger ones, I hate to think of him comparing himself to the other children that can draw more.

Troll I will keep an eye, of course, thank you.

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TheEnthusiasticTroll · 04/07/2012 12:15

get him some chalk and get him chalking in the garden. It is actually mastering big strokes that will aid him. Also get him a white board for scribble on.

my dd started school last year and they very rarly did any fine drawings unless it was in thier free time but the teachers had then chalking bigger strokes in the play ground and on white boards also tracing the shapes of letters in the air with thier fingers.

I played a game with my dd where we traced letters or shapes on each others hands or in the air and guessed what letter or shape we were making.

Original poster

sowaddayasay · 04/07/2012 12:31

chalk sounds great! he will love that, and he can then use his watergun to erase the strokes at the end!

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MimsyBorogroves · 04/07/2012 12:50

Mine is exactly the same. He CAN draw (well, people) but generally he prefers squiggles and scribbles. That said, we bought him a colouring in book, and he's bloody brilliant at colouring in. So I'm encouraging that (as he seems to love it, too) for pencil control.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 04/07/2012 13:32

No, absolutely don't worry. My DS was exactly the same and refused to ever pick up a crayon/pen/pencil before he started school at 4.5. Within 6 weeks of starting school he'd mastered writing and was writing sentences before the term finished.

He's 8 now and although he hasn't got the neatest writing he's doing fine. Just stick with the activities he enjoys, I've always said I'd much rather take them out in the garden for for a walk than making them write anyway [girin].

insancerre · 04/07/2012 13:46

this makes me very sad

he cried at home, when he faced his homework (colouring in)
This should not be happening.

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