When Writing Hurts: Understanding What Your Child’s Body Is Telling You
Sadly, many adults don’t even believe kids when they say their hands hurt. They assume children are making excuses or trying to avoid work.
But here’s the truth: kids can — and often do — press so hard on their pencil that it genuinely causes pain.
All in a Year: From Pencil Refusal to Confident Writing
Every child’s writing journey looks different — and it doesn’t start with handwriting practice. It starts with supporting the body, the senses, and regulation so writing can feel possible.
Writing Difficulties Are Almost Never About Writing
Writing challenges are about underlying developmental skills that haven’t fully formed yet, like:
✅ Whole-body coordination
✅ Core stability
✅ Sensory processing
✅ Motor planning
Be More Cat: The Value of Cozy Spaces
Just like our feline friends, children often benefit from having cozy spaces where they can retreat, reset, or simply feel contained.
More or Less Sensory Input?
But remember: sensory processing is not static. Children can fluctuate between needing more and less, and many have what we call mixed responsiveness.
Why More Writing Practice Isn’t the Answer (and What Actually Helps)
Writing difficulties aren’t about willpower. They’re not a behaviour problem.
They are neurological.
They reflect how your child’s brain and body are wired ……. their sensory processing, coordination, motor planning, regulation, and how all of that fits together.
Why Your Child’s Writing Isn’t Improving (Even After All That Practice)
Writing isn’t just a cognitive skill.
It’s a complex coordination of multiple systems and it builds in a specific sequence.
At the base of this developmental pyramid is sensory processing. From there, each layer supports the next.
Hypermobility in Kids’ Hands: Signs to Look For and How to Help
If your child avoids writing, says their hands hurt, presses too hard, or tires easily, it’s valid. They’re not being lazy. In fact, they’re often working extra hard just to keep up.
Does Your Child Hate Writing? Here’s Why (and How to Help)
Most parents think it’s a pencil grip issue or just lack of practice.
But writing struggles often have nothing to do with the hand.
The truth is, if your child avoids writing, the problem usually runs much deeper. And the solution isn’t “more handwriting practice.”
What is a Video-Based Assessment?
People are often surprised when I say I offer video-based assessments.
“Is that even effective?”
“Can you really assess a child that way?”
I get those questions a lot ……. and I get them!
So let me walk you through what a video-based assessment actually is, how it works, and why it can be so helpful.