Connor's new interest

Most mums of boys whom I've spoken to all agree on one thing - boys aren't interested in arts and craft.  I do know of little boys who are very keen on colouring and making things but most boys seem to lack the concentration and fine motor skills required for arts and craft.

I saw it over and over again in many social settings, regardless of age group or culture.  All the little girls would be sitting down, colouring enthusiastically or engrossed in making a little dollhouse or decorating a rabbit mask.  As for the little boys... well, they were usually whizzing around, yelling at the top of their voices and trying to kill each other.

With my own son, I bought Connor art supplies when he was 3yo++ and tried to get him interested in colouring and crafts.  I even made sure all the colouring sheets I got him were his favourite transport-themed pictures.  I bought him make-your-own ships and rockets.  Connor barely glanced at them and I despaired of ever getting him civilised enough to sit down and just colour quietly or practise his writing.   I decided not to force him as I could see that he didn't like it one bit.

But we saw a change ever since we've come here to Scotland.

Lately Connor has been filling page after page of art paper with doodles and scrawls.  He's suddenly extremely interested in letters and in practising writing them.   Last Sunday, I dug out his old crafts supplies and guess what?

Our son must have sat down for a good hour or so, totally engrossed in sticking pompoms, funny googly eyes and stars on his art masterpiece.  There was glue and little stars everywhere after that but I was too happy to complain.

He's very proud that we've displayed all his half-coloured, glue-saturated, over pompom-ed artistic efforts on the fridge in the kitchen.  We're careful to praise his efforts, our praise is directed at his willingness to try and hold the crayons correctly, at the letters he's forming correctly and at his efforts at putting things away after he's finished.

After months of despairing that my son would ever learn to write, I'm just so relieved and happy to see his progress.  I'd been so worried because some of his peers could already write their names and there's my son who could barely hold a pencil correctly.  I guess they all get there in their own way.  So mums out there who have a similar worry, don't despair.  Maybe your child is doing what mine is doing - just taking a detour before getting back on track.