My son has not been interested in coloring or art projects in general for a long time. While we were on vacation, he started coloring (out of boredom one time) and he seems to have found he enjoys it. But he only uses one color-red. He never switches the color to another, we've tried pointing out other colors to him and he wants red.
On the one hand, I don't really care if he's happy, but it does seem unusual. I had a lazy eye when I was young, and I had to color with a red crayon as part of my eye exercises. So it reminds me of that, and makes me wonder if something is going on that the red crayon seems to resolve?
He also does not color in the lines which drives DH nuts. We think he can do a better job of it than he does, but he refuses. This I don't care about. He also breaks the crayons in half and removes the paper, but I think this makes it easier for him to hold the crayon maybe (he has fine motor delays or did, they are no longer significant enough for OT).
Has anyone's child done this? I tend to think it's more of a compulsive thing than anything else and a pretty harmless one.
Not sure how old your son is but when my son was 5 (in kinder) he refused to use crayons, he colored everything with his plain old pencil. This last year he started using crayons but just one or two colors (and really I think it was mostly because his teacher wouldn't leave him alone about using them). He's really just not interested in it. We use those twistable crayons, they seems to be easier for him to hold on to and he likes how they feel better than regular crayons.
He's 4.5. I'm guessing he likes coloring now because he is done with OT (there was sensory and heavy work, but also a lot of fine motor work), and school is less structured for the summer months, more play, music, etc.
Okay, so it's not unusual to start with only one color. He is doing it voluntarily. I have left a cup out with his broken crayons and a coloring book, and he does it in between other activities or late in the day often. I haven't seen the twisted crayons, we have triangle shape ones that he did not like.
I'm glad he's doing something different and continuing work on his fine motor skills in the process.
My son has always loved coloring! Anything art related is his thing. By 18 months old, he was holding a crayon and drawing/coloring on his own.
He is 6 now and knows how to color in the lines, but sometimes he will just scribble across the page. At times, he will stick to one color but other times he will use a variety of colors. He is happy when he does it so I don't see the harm in it. He also knows that when it is time to write letters, numbers, or shapes, he has to focus (although he does try to scribble when he writes certain letters like M, W, or V).
Quoting marisab:
my son has never had an interest in coloring either even tho myself and school have tried!!He has started to develop an interest in them-EATING THEM AND MARKERS TOO!!
Oh no! This isn't the kind of interest you want.
I know but the dev ped says it may because he is at a two year old level developmentally and that coloring well come next
Quoting LIMom1105:
Quoting marisab:
my son has never had an interest in coloring either even tho myself and school have tried!!He has started to develop an interest in them-EATING THEM AND MARKERS TOO!!
Oh no! This isn't the kind of interest you want.
#2 DS Pre-k teacher said something about Jacob not coloring in lines. DH went off. He was an Art Major in HS and had an Art scholarship. He insists coloring books are the devil;). The don't allow creativity. Also a little story, my first day of Interior Design school they handed us a piece of paper with 9 squares on it. With instructions to draw 9 things (don't remember what). Well I wanted to draw a the things in a group so I turned the paper over and drew it. The professor then grabbed my paper held it up to everyone and said what happened here? I thought I just failed. Everyone said she didn't follow directions (I tend to make my own rules). She said no I didnt tell you to draw in the boxes. She's the only one who thought outside the box.
Don't stifle his creativity. Art is about a feeling and lines are to make him conform. Give him blank paper and let him go at it. Red has many meanings. It can mean stop. I paint walls behind receptionists red. People will automatically stop and ask for info before passing by. It can make you hungry. Resteraunts use red so you will order more. It also grabs attention and can mean angry if in the right tone. He's just expressing a feeling. Let him draw freehanded on a blank paper and you will figure it out. BTW red is my favorite because I like to grab attention;) maybe he does too but can't express it.
Family
Another post got me thinking. I have a poll for you :)
- LIMom1105
on Jul. 9, 2012 at 10:20 AM