My six year old hate writing, colouring in and drawing

[Cherryblossom200]

Hi everyone,

Well the title pretty much explains it 😂 I have a six year old who has never expressed any interest in colouring in, writing or drawing. She was an early walker and talker, her vocabulary has always been advanced for her age. But as she hasn't practiced writing as much as other children, she is behind in that side.

Her teachers are trying to get her to do cursive writing which she hates. She can print fairly well, but the teachers insist the children do joined up writing.

Her reading seems fine, she is on blue level which I think is ok and she her maths seems ok too.

I think the teachers have written my child off as not particularly academic compared to other children in the class. This annoys the hell out of me, my child is bright. Her ability to retain knowledge is amazing, however she isn't interested in the boring stuff 😂

Should I be concerned? I don't know if she is a slow learner. Do children change as they get older?

I've tried getting her to practice writing with me, but it's like pulling teeth. I'm at a loss as to how to get her to be interested in writing and drawing.

Thanks to anyone who replies!

Just with a pen and paper or any type of writing?

An empty washing up liquid bottle filled with water and squirted on the floor to write letters is a winner a lot of the time here!

With a pen and paper mainly. She has never been interested in it. She'll sit and write little letters to me in her note pad I bought her, but it has to be on her terms and when she feels like doing it.

So if I want her to practice then she kicks up a fuss. Her drawings are way below what they should be at her age, stick men etc 😂 if she copies me then her drawings are ok. And again with colouring in, it's outside the line and little care put into it.

However when it comes to communication she is way ahead and has strong friendships. Everyone always comments on how well she is able to build relationships. So perhaps this is more her thing 🙅🏻‍♀️

I don't know if this is helpful, because I dint gave a child, nor am I a teacher.

But.....I was exactly like your daughter.
My handwriting to this day is appalling. I had zero interest in learning cursive and would spend all my time getting out of doing it.

As for drawing, colouring in, again, terrible. I still draw stick men I just had no interest drawing pictures, even if they were for my granny or aunt.

As for "not being academic ", I think the teachers are very unfair. My forte was maths and science. I went onto university and have a degree in maths. I think that's quite academic

I think, if my opinion helps, keep encouraging these things, but they aren't the be all and end all.

Oh, and one of my memories of childhood my mum is continually shouting at me
"Stay in the lines, minou. It's bad to colour outside the lines!"

Hell no! I live my life like I'm colouring outside the lines.

Her drawings are way below what they should be at her age, stick men

I still draw stick men, I don’t know any other way of doing them. I got into uni at 15. She will be fine!

My son wasnt into either drawing or writing /colouring but i got him dry erase letter writing books from amazon over lock down where you trace the letters and then rub them off with bright coloured dry erase pens. It was more fun for him than pencil and paper and helped his letter formation. Its early to expect joined up writing though i think? Also he's not good at drawing compared to his brother who drew from age 3/4. But ive got him interested in youtube "how to draw" tutorials and that's really helped mainly just increase his interest and confidence. For colouring i print off roblox pictures as they interest him. Hes only started colouring this past year and only doing it neatly within last 3 months. I think keep trying with her as it is useful to write and draw although not the be all and end all. Its an area shes weaker in so why not try and improve it. It doesnt negate the strong skills she has in other areas which you mentioned as equally important.

Get her doing other things with her hands. Play doh, mud patterns, making crumble, anything that is creative but there isn't a right/wrong. Take the stress away.

Fwiw my son steered clear of mark marking for a long time, he is now a v good artist. He just didn't want to do crap art when his mind was more advanced than his hands could create!!!

Six is tiny really, yes they change a lot over time.

My DS was like this. But he's a maths genius. He's now 18 and his handwriting is still terrible.

Provide loads of stickers, glue, highlighters, sequins, glitter, coloured paper and card, feathers etc and let her get on with creating what she wants to create, when she feels like it. Maybe things like mosaics or Hama beads might be more her sort of thing, or making things with clay or plasticine.

Take the pressure off.

My Dd is also 6 and now learning what school call pre cursive letters. She's very reluctant! Her writing is a mess anyway. She's very bright though, it's not that.

We try to do a bit extra at home to support her, but not sitting with pencil and paper. Writing is about hand strength, look up funky fingers. Play games for hand strength, like play dough, made up games using pegs, water sprays, water pistols. Then for writing and/or letter formation practice, we have used bath crayons, white board pens on the windows, fill a baking tray with sand or flour or rice and make letters, dry wipe books, chalk on the patio, chalk on the fences, get some of those things you scratch the black layer away to reveal a rainbow. I have seen some patchy improvements when she sets her mind to it.

The pre cursive letters annoy the hell out of me, it's so unnecessary when she can't print neatly or form her letters correctly half the time!

Thanks everyone you have all made me feel massively better!

I guess you can't help thinking there might be a problem. But he memory is incredible and other areas like reading she's doing fine.

This is a good example of my dd. We went to a soft play party (before lock down!) just after their sandwich break all the kids were given a pottery thing to paint/colour in. My Dd painted the nose of her thing, she then walked off to play while the other kids diligently sat colouring in. But my 5 year old (at the time) thought it would be fun fun to play! And do you know what, I think I would have done the same too!

My 6yo is a bloody awful writer and I’m an OT who started my career in school-based paediatrics! Specialising in handwriting!!

At the end of the day, he has zero interest, and you can lead a horse to water etc. I’ve pushed every associated skill - he never had the interest in Lego but I’d ply him with chocolate buttons stickers with every correctly-placed brick, so I know his fine motor and perceptual skills are up to the job. We finger painted and potato printed until the cows came home. He’s always loved activity books so he has approximately three million. We’ve formed letters and their component parts in every substance and texture on the periodic table. He’s become marginally more interested in drawing and colouring over time. But age-appropriate writing? FU, mum.

He loves history, is a fabulous reader (gold level in Y2 ) and can play the Y6 guitar students under the table. He’s no dummy, so I don’t lose sleep.

Cherryblossom200
I guess you can't help thinking there might be a problem.

I can understand this. My Dsis has the most beautiful handwriting, its like italics.
/calligraphy. I don't know how she does it. So my parents to a certain extent were like you and thought I had a problem, with my horrendous handwriting.

Until my DGran pointed out to my DDad that his hand writing is worse than mine and couldn't draw a straight line
My Ddad (retired now) was a Diplomat and became a British Ambassador.

So, I don't think there is a link between no interest in art/handwriting and intelligence.