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Original poster

All those with boys age 4-7 please help...

55 replies

SolidGoldpiginablanket · 22/12/2009 18:59

I have to fill out the assessment form for DS who has a problem with fine motor skills - he is 5. Can you please tell me if your DS can:
Dress himself (including buttons/zips)
Bath himself (I doubt many 5 year olds can???)
Cut up his food with knife and fork
Ride a bike
THread beads

Thanks so much - I have to state how DS compares with other DC of his age and I simply don't know.

OP posts:
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GossipMonger · 22/12/2009 19:01

My ds2 was 5 in November.

Dress himself (including buttons/zips)Yes

Bath himself (I doubt many 5 year olds can???)
Yes I squirt shower gel all over a sponge and he washes his bits. Same with shampoo.

Cut up his food with knife and fork. Yes

Ride a bike - With stabilisers

THread beads- Yes He loves Hama beads too if that helps at all.

Stinkyfeet · 22/12/2009 19:02

Ds1 is 6.8 can do all of those, although bike riding is with stabilisers.

Ds2 is almost 4 can make a good go of cutting food, can ride with stabilisers, but none of the rest.

HTH

threetimemummy · 22/12/2009 19:04

DS1 is 4 and can do all on that list (bike with stabilisers tho)

CirrhosisByTheSea · 22/12/2009 19:05

My ds has (we have discovered) hypermobility. At 5 he could not dress himself inc buttons though he could manage most zips. however he was reluctant in the extreme to dress himself. Reluctance/avoidance can be symptoms of a difficulty rather than just laziness - imo.
Bath himself - dunno what this means really. He couldn't do his own hairwash.
Cut up food with knife and fork - no. Again, strong avoidance of even trying to do this. Would rather use his fingers. (still the same at 7!)
Ride a bike - again, avoidance of this. Only just learning at 7.
Thread beads - once again, not his kind of activity and usually avoided, but could do it at a push.

I don't suppose that actually helps in comparing him with 'the norm' in kids of his age but I thought it might just be more information for you as regards what can cause fine motor skill delay and how it can affect them.

Lotkinsgonecurly · 22/12/2009 19:06

DS is 5.8 he can:

Dress himself (including buttons/zips) -yes
Bath himself (I doubt many 5 year olds can???)yes if necessary.
Cut up his food with knife and fork - yes
Ride a bike - no but can with stabilisers
THread beads - yes.

He also has hypermobility so it makes fine motor skills more difficult for him. But has come on leaps and bounds since September when went into Y1.

Is easily same as his peers and ahead in some areas.

HTH

nobodysfool · 22/12/2009 19:09

DS 4 and a half also has hypermobility though at the lower end of the scale.
Dress himself- yes
Bath himself -yes
Cut up food - yes
ride a bike- with stabilisers
Thread beads -yes

HTH.

DottyDot · 22/12/2009 19:11

Hi there

Ds2 is 5 and can do all those things with the possible exception of bathing himself - in that I do the water and do his hair. He washes himself, gets himself in and out of the bath and dries himself.

ABetaDad · 22/12/2009 19:16

Two DSs now age 9 and 7 but when they were 5:

Dress himself (yes)
Bath himself (no not to be trusted alone and I had to put shampoo on them)
Cut up his food with knife and fork (yes to fork but not a knife like an adult would)
Ride a bike (yes but only just)
Thread beads (yes)

ihearttc · 22/12/2009 19:17

DS is 4 (will be 5 in February)

he can dress himself-needs help getting started with zips!

Bath himself-well can wash himself etc and would probably have a good go at running bath if I let him!

Cut up food-not great but can manage at school (although I tend to still do it for him at home!)

Ride a bike-yes can ride a bike without stabilisers

Thread beads-yes

HTH

Mumup · 22/12/2009 19:18

DS just turned 6.

Dress himself (including buttons/zips) Not entirely - has trouble with trouser button
Bath himself - Can, but often won't
Cut up his food with knife and fork - Just now starting to do this
Ride a bike - yes with stabilisers
THread beads - Yes

He's started writing now and that's really helping. I do think he's slow developing his fine motor skills compared to peers, but not in such a way it has worried me or his teachers.

I find with DS it's tough call between what he finds physically difficult and what he just can't be asked to do!

Cybilsnotgettingdressed · 22/12/2009 19:18

My 6 year old (dyspraxic, bad fine motor)

can dress (finds zips a bit taxing, gets cross)
Bath-yes
Knife and fork, yes but weak
Ride a bike NO NO WAY WILL NOT EVEN ENTERTAIN THE NOTION
yes thread beads, loves those fiddly activities

MollieO · 22/12/2009 19:18

Ds 5.5 and has hypermobility but ankles/knees/hips affected most. Can do all except buttons and zips and a bit wobbly on the bike.

Bleatblurt · 22/12/2009 19:20

My DS1 turned 5 last month and yes to them all (bike with stabilisers though).

fruitful · 22/12/2009 19:20

Ds1 will be 5 in Feb:

He can mostly dress himself but can't do buttons, can't always manage zips, and is a bit useless with socks (can but won't, I think)

Bath himself. He isn't allowed to run a bath, it's too hot. He can get into the bath if we leave the stool there for him to stand on. He can rub soap on a facecloth and rub it on himself and splosh it off again. But I wouldn't leave him unsupervised. He dries himself - well he runs around naked until he is dry, does that count?

Cut up his food with knife and fork - some of it, depends how tough it is. He'd rather not, but then my 7.5yo wants me to do hers a lot, too

Ride a bike - yes, without stabilisers

THread beads - yes, although gets frustrated quickly and give up if he can't get it through quick enough

FabIsGettingReadyForXmas · 22/12/2009 19:27

Dress himself (including buttons/zips) not buttons.

Bath himself (I doubt many 5 year olds can???) yes

Cut up his food with knife and fork he tries.

Ride a bike yes, with stabilisers.

Thread beads don't know.

Fruitbatlings · 22/12/2009 19:32

DS is 4.6 yrs

Dress himself (including buttons/zips) - yes struggles to get zips started though

Bath himself (I doubt many 5 year olds can???) - Yes

Cut up his food with knife and fork - not very well

Ride a bike - With stabilisers

Thread beads - I have no idea

naughtymummy · 22/12/2009 19:39

DS is 5.5

Dressed himself from 4 -don't they have to at school ?

Bath himself ?Can wash himself wouldn't let him run a bath

Cut up his food- depends on the food, will try

Ride a bike- yes (we took the stabilsers off last summer)

Thread beads- Can thread a needle does that count ?

Original poster
SolidGoldpiginablanket · 22/12/2009 19:42

Yes the school highlighted thr problem through his reluctance to do things like write/draw.
He isn't keen on trying to dress himself, though I must admit I have usually dressed him simply because it's quicker.
I'm inclined to think he will grow out of the difficulties he's having, but we're going to take advantage of any hints they give us.

OP posts:
SofaQueen · 22/12/2009 19:44

DS1 just turned 6.

Dress himself (including buttons/zips)- yes except small top buttons on dress shirts

Bath himself: Yes, but uses way too much conditioner!

Cut up his food with knife and fork- yes, but once he does this, he prefers eating with his hands and I need to remind him to use the fork which he just used to cut up his food.

Ride a bike - never had any interest in bicycles, but does scooter well on wheels

THread beads - yes.

fishie · 22/12/2009 19:45

ds is 4.8 and will not attempt anything he isn't pretty sure he will succeed at.

dressing - can more or less do this but generally doesn't. is good at zips and non-stiff buttons.
bath - can wash self and brush teeth. not hair or running bath.
cut up food - avoids and i don't think he can.
ride a bike - can do
thread beads - proficiently

jammietart · 22/12/2009 19:46

DS is 4.5

Dress himself - yes including buttons and zips
Bath himself - yes but after a few days i would imagine he would have a build up of unrinsed shampoo
Cut up his food with knife and fork - yes
Ride a bike - yes without stabilisers
THread beads - yes

but all if he's in the mood and i wouldn't leave him unsupervised in the bath.

HTH

justaboutisfatandtired · 22/12/2009 19:49

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justaboutisfatandtired · 22/12/2009 19:50

This reply has been deleted

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saadia · 22/12/2009 19:50

ds2 is five (six in March), he can:

dress himself (buttons and zips - sometimes needs help with top button)
Cannot bathe himself - ie deal with taps/shampoo/shower gel - but will soap himself
can cut up food
can ride a bike
can thread beads

Ladymuck · 22/12/2009 19:52

"He isn't keen on trying to dress himself, though I must admit I have usually dressed him simply because it's quicker."

I think that this is the sort of thing that highlights the problem. He isn't keen because he finds it difficult, he is then very slow, and you end up doing it for him.

Yes, it is likely that he will grow out of his difficulties, but I guess the main issue is whether being behind the the majority of the class in the meantime will prove to be an issue. Presumably if his fine motor skills are poor then this will manifest in terms of writing.