My child has trouble grasping smaller objects...

My child has trouble grasping smaller objects. Should I be worried?

Many toddlers struggle manipulating smaller objects like crayons, toothbrushes and smaller toys. Often, children will drop them, and that’s perfectly normal, particularly if your child is under 18 months.

That’s because grasping smaller objects requires a combination of many different skills, including motor planning, dexterity and muscle control.

However, if your child is older than 18 months, and is still having trouble holding or manipulating a spoon, toothbrush, or stack of blocks, then there may be cause for concern.

Usually, the cause is simply that your child’s motor skills development is delayed – and that’s usually just a matter of practice. It could, however, be that your child has a vision problem – it’s difficult to pick up objects that you can’t see properly.

Whatever the cause, the best course of action would be to speak to your doctor, who can refer you to an occupational therapist, vision specialist, or any other doctor who may be needed to solve the problem.

More questions

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Up to the age of three, your toddler will be over separation anxiety. However, as there are so many separations in the years of growing up – pre-school, a few days away at camp, and even your child’s first year at college, bouts of separation anxiety could very well occur from time to time all through your child’s life.

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As long as your toddler has plenty of space and time to play, and practice all their new physical skills, they’re probably doing just fine with her development!

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Toddlers are naturally curious about everything. Instead of stifling that curiosity, you should be making every effort to promote it!

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If you want your child to grow up with a strong spiritual foundation, it’s never too young to start teaching, but remember to teach by example.