Calling all hot housing mummies and toddler fine motor skills

[reallytired]

My son has a terrible struggle with fine motor control. He saw an occupational theraphist at five and half as he had no pen control. The occupational theraphist said the problem was the national curriculum rather than my son. My son's pen control improved considerably with "Write from the Start" and the school and occupational theraphist worked with my son for about 10 minutes a day to help him with things like using sissors, dressing and hand writing. My son had problems because his joints are very flexible.

Anyway I have a 21 month old daughter. I do not want her to go through the pain that my son went through. We are doing some of the activites with her that the occupational theraphist recommnend for my son. For example I am encouraging her with scribbling on a vertial board. She is using stubby chalks to encourage a better grip. She has good fine motor control for her age as she has completely self fed from 6 months.

I think I need to work on her gross motor skills more, but its hard when the weather is so awful. I am relucant to take her swimming incase it leads to ear infections and glue ear.

My dd is happy soul and enjoys drawing and jigsaws. I am interested in gentle ways of encouraging her fine motor skills. Today we been playing with salad tongs and scrunched up paper. My dd has the concentration of a gnat as she is still a baby.

That is lovely for you, are you after a medal?

You said she had good fine motor skills as she self feeds. So why do you need to develop them?

Also you say your son had trouble partly because he has flexible joints. Does your DD have the same? If not, then there's no need to hothouse surely - just let her play and she'll naturally gravitate towards things that'll develop her.

It seems so young to start pushing things!

I don't think you need to do anything specific, but for the gross motor skills have you considered something like baby gym sessions? They do them at our local sports centre, it covers climbing/balancing, a little dancing and singing.

TBH it sounds like you have the fine motor skills stuff covered but I guess as she gets a little older activities like tracing and colouring/threading beads would be good (sorry if you're already doing this stuff just trying to come up with ideas).

What's Write from the Start?

'My dd has the concentration of a gnat as she is still a baby.'
That because she is! Leave her be for now the only person benefiting from this activity is you, it helps eleviate your anxiety. For a child who isn't yet showing any signs of motor skill problems it will do absolutely no good.

i think it is unecessary to do anything more than the usual playing and heuristic stuff that you would do with a toddler.

she has the concentration of a gnat, so leave her be

Do you think your dd has flexible joints like your ds has? If not then you probably don't need to do anything extra.

My ds1 has poor fine motor skills but his younger siblings have no problems with using their hands and it's not because of anything I've done.

Playdough is great for fine motor skills because of the rolling and squeezing involved. Basic threading games are good too. At that age your dd might be able to use the sets with very big buttons and thick pieces of string.

Big lacing cards/beads are good. As is playdough!

I don't think it's hothousing -it's only natural you want to help her, and all the activities are fun anyway! To her it'll just be playing and spending quality time with mummy :)

I like the button board from ELC, and melissa&doug lacing beads btw.