How to Get Son Intrested

He's THREE! They are not supposed to be interested in this. Some kids are and I would say take advantage, but most aren't. Try a different approach. Cut out a letter and collage stuff on to it. You can tell him it's an A. Try to find A's around places thing like that. At this age it's not common for them to sit and practice. However that doesn't mean he won't learn them through his environment.

My oldest son will be 4 at the end of January and also is very resistant to practicing handwriting. However, he does seem more interested when it involves a topic he likes (as another respondent mentioned), for example Bob the Builder. If you are not opposed to bribes, you could also try offering a small prize or treat (I used M&Ms) for successfully completed rows of letters. I also tried saying things like "On this page you are supposed to write an entire row of zeros on your own. It's really hard to write the numbers on your own without tracing the dotted line. You probably can't do it, but if you can, I'll give you an M&M." This kind of reverse psychology works well with my son, who loves to prove he can do things I didn't expect, but I'm sure that how well this works depends on a kid's personality.

Ultimately, I thik kids will show interest when they're ready, and I try not to push things. If your son doesn't want to do this now, focus on the things he DOES want to do and is good at, and work on those.

Get a sheet pan and cover it with a layer of shaving cream. Have him make the numbers and letters in the shaving cream with his fingers. Then you can just smooth it over and try another one. Once he gets good at that, try transferring to finger paints or pencil and paper.

First CONGRATS!!!!!! Awesome that you were able to prove the DR's wrong! It's always a beautiful and wonderful experience being pregnant and having your own miracle. Although adoption is a wonderful tool in so many ways.

I found the same with my 4yo daughter. I have given it some time so I did't make her hate it. But my next try was going to be just me getting down on the coffee table...hahaha I'm due in April too, hopefully I can get back up. Then just playing with the papers myself and not even inviting her over to "play" with me. Just showing her I'm doing it and having a good time. I'm hoping she'll get excited about me doing something and wanting to help. Like she does when it comes to making dinner.
If this doesn't work, I'm looking at having the same question as you...and will probably be referring to all youe answers. Best of Luck, God Bless!

My advice? Give it time. He will do it when he is ready and the more you push the more he will push back. Letter writing is very difficult for some kids. My four year old daughter is reading simple words, has known her letters and sounds since she was 2.5 but still can't write her name. I figure it will come when it comes. Good luck! Being home with the kids is not easy :) It's a HUGE change!

Congrats on your new baby and your new job as a SAHM! I was a pre-K and Kindergarten teacher before staying home and the key, as others have said, is to keep it in a context he's interested in. Names of friends and family, family members ages...More importantly, please don't hesitate to do lots of reading on child development before attempting to home school. "Yardsticks" is a great book to start with. Many children don't have the fine motor skills necessary to write letters and numbers at his age and trying causes lots of frustration. Most pre-K programs start with shaving cream, sand, etc. And if he is going to go to a traditional school setting for kindergarten, preschool at 4 is actually a great idea. Maybe you could send him part-time so he gets the school readiness you want and you can focus on spending time letting him be curious and creative, which will also help him in school (and in life!). You'll find great homeschooling resources online and at your library, though, if that's what you choose to do. Good luck!

Hi J.,
My son was the same way. I found that if I backed off, he usually showed some interest. Is there a hobby or interest that your son has that incorporates numbers/letters? My son loved NASCAR and he DID show interest in writing down the numbers of his favorite cars. He still likes to write down football players names & numbers, etc....
I DO know this, the more you push it, the less he'll want to do it!
Have you tried other mediums like chalk & a chalkboard, Aquadoodle, glitter glue, etc? Anything to make it seem like he's not doing a job. Kids LOVE to trace numbers and letters in pudding or shaving cream on the kitchen table! Messy? Yes. Fun? You bet!

I guess I'm not sure why you feel it is so important for a child this young to write letters and numbers! We push push push our kids and we place so much emphasis on academics when they really need to be learning other things. He will learn this in school and/or when he's ready. If you're going to home school him, then you have time to really work with other home schooling parents to obtain age-appropriate curricular materials and to develop the types of teaching skills that are needed in that setting. Otherwise, I would spend this wonderful new-found time enriching his life and stimulating his imagination. Find activities that he likes that will continue to develop fine motor skills (essential for holding and maneuvering a pencil) - these can include Legos and puzzles with small-ish pieces as well as writing activities. If he makes a piece of artwork, you can get him to write his name on it so you can send it to Grandma. You can get books where he learns to trace the letters and numbers and then there is a space to write them on his own - but it has to be fun, not an assignment, at this age. There will be plenty of time for structure later on but right now he is still getting used to the new situation with you. When the new baby comes, it will be another adjustment for him and also you may not have as much time or energy for these activities. However, I do think it is a good idea to have a routine set now - that's great. Kids do need some sort of structure, but I think he's just not ready for the academic part yet. Enjoy this time and trust that these skills will come in time!