How can I get my daughter to want to write her name?

Question

My daughter is in pre-school and they have been practicing writing their names. She can do it and would do it for me for about 2 weeks. But now when I ask her to do it for me or to practice writing it she always says she doesn't want to. And even if I finally talk her into doing it she acts like she doesn't know how and will write/draw something that looks nothing like her name. I just need some suggestions. I don't want to punish her b/c I don't want her to be scared of learning or confuse learning with getting punished.

Answer 1

Those saying give her a little break have the right idea. As you know she is capable of writing her her name, ask that she only need to write it on her drawings and "homework" so people can know who did the hard work. Then focus on doing some other activity with her. Once she feels the pace is hers again, you'll be finding her name more places than you want.

Answer 2

I'd say just back off from it for a while because she may sense some pressure coming from you about it. It's probably just a temporary phase where she has just mastered a skill and now she is pulling back a little. If you give her time she will be writing it again.

Answer 3

Don't let on that you want her to write her name. Don't push. Try playing with different materials. Chalkboards are great (and cheap), magnadoodles, paint, Twistables from crayola, play-dough, anything from the craft store. My kids like painting the garage with water. Let her make shapes or whatever. As long as she's writing, she's strengthening the muscles needed to write.

Answer 4

Maybe see if her pre school teacher will send it home as "homework", like the big kids have. If that isn't a possibility try to think of some way to turn it into a game.

Answer 5

Back off it a little! Don't you ever get bored of doing something over and over and over again? Stop pressuring her for a little while, and you'll find she's writing it everywhere...the walls, the door, the brand new white leather sofa at your friends house...

Ease off the subject for a while, then come back to it. She probably just got bored of it for a bit.

Answer 6

make it fun .... some small treat... I love the Christmas card idea.... maybe even a letter to Santa.... you could also in Word type her name a few times in Comic Sans font at the size she writes but change the font to be in outline form....next to each typed name....type a line for her to write on... then make it a game to trace her name and stay within the lines and then write it all by herself .... you could do yours too and and you both do it together.... good luck...

Answer 7

Tell her that you want to do something with her & hold her hand while you write her name. Then each time its written give her a prize. You might even want to put something out that she can see first . Tel her she can earn it . Then continue from ther to have her do it herself.

Answer 8

A special treat within view but out of reach. Tell her she writes her name x number of times & it's hers!

Answer 9

don't force her to over and over. alot of parents treat therree young children like pets, and have to realise, that they have wishes and feeling and stuff to. probably she is just sick of being told to right her name over and over again, maybe try some other things like basic math

(addition 1-5)

counting, abcs and stuff, then come back to the name if a few days, and don't push her if she doesn't want to.

Answer 10

Then reward her for writing things correctly, maybe you should teach her a new word (shorter than her name or easier) to write. If she sees that you will reward her for that maybe she will go back to writing her name for you.