Children who draw develop further
It all starts with painting. The first muddy painting attempts with spinach or mash are a necessary development step. Even if they drive moms and dads crazy. Babies already train their mobility and self-expression when liquids are spread. So don't get too angry about the first children's drawings on the onesie or the sofa.
With every month children scale up their abilities. Towards the end of the first year of life, small children can already hold a pen with their fist. And the scribbling children's drawings that are created from now on have a meaning: This is about moving! The result is not important for the time being. It'll take a little while for the child to realize: There is a relation between my movement and the result on paper (or wallpaper)!
First painting, then writing
When the children's drawings become more concrete, your darling has entered the next phase: Movement is no longer so important; now your child wants to portray something. It will draw a kind of sun. Scientists call that "cephalopods." They believe that the cephalopod is a first human representation.
From about four years it becomes more concrete: Children draw things they know from everyday life. The pictures begin to tell stories. The older the children get, the more individual they are. From primary school age on, children draw their reality even more precisely. They try their hand at perspectives and proportions. The pictures contain more details and are lovingly decorated.
With the start of school, children become more aware of their expectations of them. Is my picture good enough? Can my girlfriend paint better than me? The time of self-forgotten child drawings comes to an end. That's a shame. Because painting and drawing are good at any age: Those who create something out of themselves feel stronger. Painting makes you happy. And painting gives children a chance to find peace and rest.
With a picture your child tells about himself: This is my world. That's how I feel. Children like to describe by themselves what their picture is about. Listen carefully and ask questions. In this way your child feels that he or she is perceived and loved. Painting is good for so many things. Isn't that wonderful!
First painting, then writing
The first children's drawings of your darling and his physical development are closely linked: painting and drawing make the child's body more flexible. No wonder that painting is a great preparation exercise for learning to write! Those who paint a lot simply find it easier to write at school. After all, letters of the alphabet are small paintings somewhere.
Painting or wiping? Pen or tablet? Both have their place. For the development of the brain and fine motor skills, however, painting is of crucial importance. Children who paint too little find it difficult: information they have perceived with their eyes is difficult to translate into movement. Painting and crafting help our children to practice exactly that.
Self-forgotten painting is completely individual. Your child only paints for (and about) himself. There are no rules, no must and should. It's all about joy, colour and fantasy. Therefore: Support your little artist! Help him to find his own expression in his children's drawings. Do not intervene if the cottage is crooked and awry and the sun is blue. It all makes sense for your child.
Children's drawings are deeply creative! And children who draw are happy!