Doodling

[TheBugs]

My DD6 likes to decorate all her paper work and workbooks with hearts and other types of doodlings. If I give her an assignment to give to me, such as copywork, often it comes with extra words like "I love mom". Often she draws a border around the whole paper with swirls and hearts. It's very cute and she is talented, but the paper ends up looking ...messy.

 

What do you think about this with a six-year-old? Should I let it slide or try to stop it?

[stacywatkins34]

I would embrace it. :) Let her be a creative 6 year old. Why don't you want her work to look "messy?" Probably because you want her to be successful later in life. I think when the time comes she'll quickly get the hint that she shouldn't doodle on a job application or college entrance essay.

[DawnL]

My daughter is nearly 12 and she still doodles quite a bit. Everything from fashionable girls, fantasy creatures, and, when she is especially hating math, giant man-eating numbers with feet and faces! (Number 5 is especially evil, for some reason ;) )

 

I doubt she'll doodle on her SATs. :)

[justLisa]

I love that. Mine both do it too. Sometimes I'll go check and a math page will say "I had to go to the bathroom." LOL

 

DD doodles.

 

It is interesting, because DH once told me his doodles helped him remember a specific lesson. And he is some odd genius type. It made me think again about it and I know longer worry about it

[Farrar]

I'm not sure why it needs to be those two choices. That seems sweet to me. One of my ds likes to turn everything on his papers into game show questions with points and to doodle around the edges of the numbers and turn them into robots. If it makes otherwise dull practice of skills doable, then that's fine.

 

The one time it's not appropriate would be on something that was a presentation or something like a standardized test that has to be turned in and graded. But I think it's easy enough to show a 6 yo the difference between the type of work you do for everyday practice (copywork, math workbooks, etc.) and the type that you show the rest of the world.

[Embassy]

Sometimes I give my son an extra sheet of paper for his doodling. Sometimes the doodling is so much that I can't even make out his work. And I might as well forget trying to follow the lines where he is supposed to match two things. There is no such thing as a direct route. It is a twisty loopy all around the page path to get to the answer, lol. I either tell him not to do that or have him tell me the answers when I check his work.

[Amethyst]

I have one like that. She's 12 now. Most of the time it doesn't matter. But we live in a portfolio state. So, once in a while I'll say something like, "Ok, this will be going in your portfolio, so no doodling, ok?"

[happypamama]

I like neat and tidy myself, but my kids like to doodle. I let them doodle with a few caveats:

 

-If they're doodling excessively instead of working, that's not okay.

-If I can't read something because of doodling, I make them redo it.

-If it's something that I know I specifically want to put in the portfolio that will go to the school district, I don't like doodling on it, but I generally let them know that ahead of time (and also that I expect absolute best handwriting for that item). If it's done sloppily (doodling, excessive cross-outs, very messy writing, etc.), they redo that page.

 

Other than that, a doodle while they're waiting for me to finish explaining something to another child, or while they're thinking over a problem in their head, or something -- eh, no big deal. DH doodles when he takes notes too.

[MerryAtHope]

Sigh. I miss my daughter's doodling! She still writes me notes though! Her papers used to be covered with various types of pictures. There was the year she wanted to put a star on top of the Christmas tree instead of our regular angel--she drew stars and Christmas trees constantly. There was the year we read Charlotte's Web--she would connect similar numbers or find patterns in various math problems, draw lines to connect them, and make a web out of where the lines intersected. And of course, all manner of other doodles.

 

Enjoy them!

 

Merry :-)

[VaKim]

Mine both have done this, and I always loved it. Made the dull work of checking their papers more interesting. :001_smile:

[Hunter]

You could teach her how to doodle. :lol:

 

Waldorf methods teach children to draw form drawing borders around their work. Then they often use a block crayon to add a light wash of color.

 

Have you heard of zentangle?

 

Celtic knot borders

[Mommy_of_4]

DS always doodles all over his papers. I love it and his hand writing seems to be getting better due to all the drawing he is doing.

[TheBugs]

You could teach her how to doodle. :lol:

 

Waldorf methods teach children to draw form drawing borders around their work. Then they often use a block crayon to add a light wash of color.

 

Have you heard of zentangle?

 

Celtic knot borders

 

Very interesting, thank you for the links :)

 

Maybe the reason I am a little concerned about it is because I am a major doodler and maybe since I see myself in her, I am a little more critical. I haven't said anything, except sometimes, "please make this work as neat as you can". It just seems like when she is scribbling all over the page her handwriting is a little messier-- like she is not concentrating. DS, her twin, doesn't doodle and he is a perfectionist with his handwriting. It takes him much longer to write a sentence and it always looks so beautiful. But one sentence tires him out. DD is a prolific writer for a six year old. I am celebrating their differences.

 

I remember a history class where we had to hand in our notebooks as part of our assessments and the teacher would take off points for doodles.

 

We also are in a portfolio state. Before our reviews I choose the best work to put in the portfolio.

[Tanikit]

My parents have been running a national exam for grade 7 students in our country since 1992. The first few years we ran it the papers were returned with all sorts of pictures and writing on them and we had a lot of fun reading what they had written and looking at their pictures. Unfortuantely since then the children seem not to do that anymore and we have commented on it and missed it. I suppose its not really appropriate to be writing on tests... but I wish they still did.

[Hunter]

 

We also are in a portfolio state. Before our reviews I choose the best work to put in the portfolio.

 

Would purposeful and neat doodling be acceptable in the portfolio? They must be used to seeing it from Waldorf students. Ugh! I can't seem to get a link, but google "waldorf main lesson books" and then hit "images".

[Alte Veste Academy]

Maybe the reason I am a little concerned about it is because I am a major doodler and maybe since I see myself in her, I am a little more critical. I haven't said anything, except sometimes, "please make this work as neat as you can". It just seems like when she is scribbling all over the page her handwriting is a little messier-- like she is not concentrating. DS, her twin, doesn't doodle and he is a perfectionist with his handwriting. It takes him much longer to write a sentence and it always looks so beautiful. But one sentence tires him out. DD is a prolific writer for a six year old. I am celebrating their differences.

 

(This got long and is probably not helpful, but anyway...)

 

Is the work boring to her? Perhaps doodling actually helps her concentrate. I've been a lifelong doodler. It helps me focus by splitting my focus. Thanks to Dreamers, Discoverers, and Dynamos, I've learned that I probably had/have ADD. But I never had a problem in school because if it was boring, I didn't totally tune out, I just kept myself entertained on the side. Dyphasic thinking (aka the ability to maintain two thoughts simultaneously) helps me focus. Working with music on, listening to the TV while embroidering or reading... Copywork is pretty straightforward but it can also get pretty boring.

 

Once, in college, I was doodling during a lecture and my professor called me on it in front of the class. He was very high and mighty, asking why I couldn't be bothered to pay attention. I said I was paying attention and he said, "Really? What did I just say?" nice and cocky. I recited back everything he had just said, verbatim, then asked if he wanted me to go back further. He did not. :tongue_smilie: I was taking notes too. They were just very doodly notes. :D

 

If I don't split my focus when I'm bored, all I can think about is how bored I am. That doesn't do me a bit of good. But if I trick my mind into entertaining itself with something relatively simple and meaningless, I can pay attention to even the most snooze-worthy lectures or assignments. :lol:

 

Anyway, DD is a doodler too. She recommends Lettering, Doodle Journal, and Doodle Diary. You could incorporate the latter into your school day, maybe first thing in the morning? DD also wants to know if you do art. :lol: Because you know, artists will get it out when they can, one way or another... Maybe do art before writing. :D

 

Suffice it to say, it wouldn't bother me at all. I'm seconding Hunter on the Waldorf main lesson books. Bet your DD would LOVE them. Mine does.

 

ETA: Here are some of my favorite examples, broken down by grade. Gorgeous stuff here!

Edited October 11, 2012 by Alte Veste Academy

[TheBugs]

Would purposeful and neat doodling be acceptable in the portfolio? They must be used to seeing it from Waldorf students. Ugh! I can't seem to get a link, but google "waldorf main lesson books" and then hit "images".

 

I think it's acceptable. The evaluators are looking for progress and I think just to see that there is education going on. Our first evaluation went very well. The teacher was very pro homeschooling and the whole experience was affirming and encouraging.

[TheBugs]

:bigear:

(This got long and is probably not helpful, but anyway...)

 

Is the work boring to her? Perhaps doodling actually helps her concentrate. I've been a lifelong doodler. It helps me focus by splitting my focus. Thanks to Dreamers, Discoverers, and Dynamos, I've learned that I probably had/have ADD. But I never had a problem in school because if it was boring, I didn't totally tune out, I just kept myself entertained on the side. Dyphasic thinking (aka the ability to maintain two thoughts simultaneously) helps me focus. Working with music on, listening to the TV while embroidering or reading... Copywork is pretty straightforward but it can also get pretty boring.

 

Once, in college, I was doodling during a lecture and my professor called me on it in front of the class. He was very high and mighty, asking why I couldn't be bothuered to pay attention. I said I was paying attention and he said, "Really? What did I just say?" nice and cocky. I recited back everything he had just said, verbatim, then asked if he wanted me to go back further. He did not. :tongue_smilie: I was taking notes too. They were just very doodly notes. :D

 

If I don't split my focus when I'm bored, all I can think about is how bored I am. That doesn't do me a bit of good. But if I trick my mind into entertaining itself with something relatively simple and meaningless, I can pay attention to even the most snooze-worthy lectures or assignments. :lol:

 

Anyway, DD is a doodler too. She recommends Lettering, Doodle Journal, and Doodle Diary. You could incorporate the latter into your school day, maybe first thing in the morning? DD also wants to know if you do art. :lol: Because you know, artists will get it out when they can, one way or another... Maybe do art before writing. :D

 

Suffice it to say, it wouldn't bother me at all. I'm seconding Hunter on the Waldorf main lesson books. Bet your DD would LOVE them. Mine does

ETA: Here are some of my favorite examples, broken down by grade. Gorgeous stuff here!

 

Thank you to you and your DD. I will definitely check out those ideas.:D I think boredom is an issue. I used to be such a daydreamer. I had to have my hearing checked at 6 because the teacher would be calling my name and I wouldn't answer. Hearing was fine., just off in my own world I guess. Maybe the doodling helps with focus. Also we have an issue with singing.

 

DD loves to draw and all arts and crafts. Maybe I will try an art activity first thing. I felt like we should get the less fun things out of the way first. But we could shake things up a bit.

[EppieJ]

Let me throw another book at you... The Way They Learn, by Cynthia Tobias. It's an easy read that gives insightful info about learning styles. Might have something useful for you.

[Hedgehogs4]

I don't mind doodling as long as he circles his answer so that I can clearly find it and identify it as "his final answer."

[Ellie]

She can doodle all she wants...except when it's an Official Assignment, of which there shouldn't be many for a 6yo. :)

[kdownie]

haha, my 6 year old DD is the exact same. Swirls, lines, circles, boxes, underlines, just writing all over her page. Perhaps because I like things neat and organized and "nice looking," all the lines bother me. So, I simply give her a blank piece of paper first thing in the morning and let her scribble on it through out the school morning. If she were writing words or sentences, I may let it slide, since that would perhaps be cute to look back on. For her though, it is just messy scribbling.

 

I think I will check out the links that others shared with you, as my dd may really like those.

[CatholicMom]

I feel your pain, as I like nice & neat papers, too, but I would let it slide and try to enjoy it as long as

 

1) she gets her work DONE (i.e. she's not doodling so much that she only gets doodling done and it's a major distraction from her getting her work done)

 

and

 

2) she doesn't literally make her paper messy by crumpling it all up, letting it get stepped on, putting it on the kitchen table where juice gets on it, etc, etc. That stuff is worth teaching, "this is not how we treat our school work."

 

 

But if she gets her work done and just draws on it to boot, I say, roll with it sister. :)

[J9Mommy]

I have always doodled and still do !

[daffodil]

My daughter is always messing up her papers by absentmindedly scribbling all over them or crinkling them up. It drives me crazy! Today during math I asked her why she didn't at least make pretty designs if she was going to mark all over her work. So she did, and it bothered me a lot less. :) But I'm sure she'll go right back to the messy scribbles.