Ok, I know that sounds like I am too eager and a bit precious!
He doesn't hold his pencil with pencil grip yet; he holds it like a knife. He struggles to make proper marks and has shown not to much interest in drawing etc. No big deal, he is tiny, has years to figure it all out. But, recently, he is getting upset that he cannot write yet and I think this is hindering him in learning to hold his pencil correctly and draw/practice swirls. He is getting frustrated that what he wants to draw doesn't look like what he wants, and so he stops. If he was not bothered, I wouldn't really be too bothered about pressing him just yet.
I know I shouldn't compare him to his DS and I am not doing so negatively, rather trying to figure out how we helped her along and encouraged her to work through her frustrations. But, she didn't have any. She had pencil grip from pretty much as soon as she could hold a pencil and was happy making marks, and being pleased as punch at her 'flower' or her 'mummy' which may well have looked nothing like it. She would quite happily draw us pictures, or do a scribble in a birthday card and say it was her name or kisses.
A few weeks ago I asked DS if he would like to draw or write in daddy's birthday card. He cried and said 'no!' and run away. I asked what was wrong and he said 'I can't do letters, I can only do squiggles!' and cried again. I asked if he wanted to do some squiggles as daddy loved his squiggles and he said no, so I left it.
He has since then taken some interest in drawing, his sister is an avid drawer and so he has been copying her, which I have encouraged by asking her to let him draw with her (sometimes he messes up what she does so she gets cross, but has got better at this). He has just drawn a card for his granny, by copying his sister, he did a fabulous rainbow, which looked just like a rainbow and a flower (I almost didn't want to send it!) so he is making progress.
This evening daddy was writing my birthday card out and asked if he wanted to do something in the card. He became upset again and said that he couldn't write letters. DH mentioned this to me as he was surprised that he was even aware he couldn't do it, mainly as DD took it in her stride and naturally just moved through that phase without really knowing she wasn't being clear in her marks.
Is this a common thing children go through with learning letters? I have no problems with the not knowing - he is interested in books, asks about what letters are what etc, but I am worried that his frustrations might stop him from trying as he progresses if he finds things difficult to master (as he will!). He has always been a child that has been frustrated with not being able to do things right now, including speaking and many of his tantrums have been, and continue to be when he can't express himself using the words he wants, or so we can understand him.
What can we do to help him build his confidence in trying things that he can't do well? I am not so much thinking for right now, but as we move through his learning I don't to suddenly go 'ok we need to find out how we help him' when it's a real problem (if it even becomes a problem).