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How do you encourage a child to work on a skill if they don't want to put any effort into it? I have a 4y.o. dcg who is significantly behind in her fine motor skills. She can't do lacing cards, string beads, roll a ball out of playdoh, grip scissors, do puzzles, etc. Oddly enough, she does hold her crayon correctly. :confused:The issue is that she won't attempt to do any of these things because she claims she "can't do it." She is barely able to work the puzzles that I typically have out for my 18 month olds. Even if they have the pegs to hold onto she struggles to fit them back into place. I'm concerned as she will be starting kindergarten in the fall. I try to work with her, but she refuses to try if it is a struggle for her at all. I don't want to label her as lazy, but that's what it appears like because I've seen her finish one of the puzzles on her own. It just happens very rarely. Any suggestions?
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is there anyone else there her age that does them? I also have a child like this. He hates fine motor anything. Our babies who are 18 month (youngest age we take) can do them. He told me one time, I don't want to do baby stuff..... OK I get it.
But the thing is, babies can't use scissors, and when i asked about that, he said, i am not 5 yet. So he makes excuses. I just keep having him rotate tables. He can choose to do something or nothing. I don't care what he does with the items, just find something to do during that time that is not distracting your neighbors.
heres the thing we cant make a child be ready for kinder in everything. I would get the parents on board and let them know the issues that are taking place so they are aware.
I have a child that will go to kinder in the fall who wants nothing to do with numbers. I can't force a child to do anything. We can only do so much. When I conference with the parents, I just let them know that we have been trying several different appraoches and we have yet to see the child show any progress. However, the child just may not be ready yet and may pick it up in school.
We can't change the stripes on a zebra...... -
If you are meeting resistance, the best thing to do is use the child's interests to encourage him to use the skill.
For example, the sensory table is a preferred classroom activity so I placed a fine motor tool set in it. (Tweezers, a few scissor scoops)
I have a little one that hates lacing and puzzles but LOVES any related to Jake and the Neverland Pirates. I picked up an interlocking Jake puzzle from the dollar store and laminated/hole punched a treasure chest. Guess who loves to lace and do puzzles now?
Hope this helps.
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Great ideas! Thanks. And daycare, I love that phrase, "We can't change the stripes on a zebra." I'm always trying to fix everything. Sometimes I just need to let things go.If you are meeting resistance, the best thing to do is use the child's interests to encourage him to use the skill.
For example, the sensory table is a preferred classroom activity so I placed a fine motor tool set in it. (Tweezers, a few scissor scoops)
I have a little one that hates lacing and puzzles but LOVES any related to Jake and the Neverland Pirates. I picked up an interlocking Jake puzzle from the dollar store and laminated/hole punched a treasure chest. Guess who loves to lace and do puzzles now?
Hope this helps.Comment
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I had to learn this with my own son. He is an extremely intelligent child, but he has quite a large personality. Sweetest kid you will ever meet, but boy oh boy does he not know when to stop with jokes. He is in college now at UC Berkley, but when he was in formal schooling his teacher would email and call me all of the time and say they just wish he could be more serious about things.
My son always laughing, smiling, joking and on and on. It is a good quality, but too much of it was not good. I finally got tired of having the disagreements with my son and his teachers every week, sometimes daily. I finally said. This is who he is, you can't change the stripes of a zebra, just accept him or kick him out of your class.
My son has gotten better, but he is always and I mean always saying something to make you laughing the coffee right out of your nose.
Any how, I got off topic, but I think you can see what I am saying. Eventually everyone just has to let it go. They will do it when they are ready or they won't. And like that other fun saying...you can lead a horse to water, but you can' make them drink....Comment
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