Your 4-Year-Old: Hands-on Fun

Hands-on Fun

The older the child, the smaller the toys. They tend to have more pieces, too, from doll clothes to building blocks. Working with these small pieces can be frustrating for a 4-year-old, because her hands' fine motor skills are not yet fully developed. Although she's growing taller, her fingers still have some small-child stubbiness. But don't rule out small, multipiece toys; working with them gives your child's hands a healthy workout.
最近小馨生日收到一盒新的樂高玩具，不是之前玩的duplo系列，而是真正的lego，拿到之後我自己也玩得不亦樂乎，不過小馨得手指靈巧度還沒發展完全，因此太細、太小的零件也拿不穩，我想大概五歲以後應該就能玩了吧！

Your 4-year-old now
Is your preschooler easily frustrated by tasks like snapping or buttoning? It makes sense developmentally: Your child's fingers are still better suited for throwing balls than tying shoelaces, because the fine motor and visual areas of her brain aren't fully developed yet. And it doesn't help that patience is also in such short supply for many preschoolers.

To help build greater dexterity — and more patience — bring home some building toys. Things like blocks, Legos, K'Nex, and Playmobil encourage children to manipulate small pieces over and over again. That they stoke the imagination is the frosting on the cake. Check frustration by encouraging persistence: "You worked so hard. Let's try again." Break down the task into smaller, more easily managed parts. And if her tower keels over, try to get her to laugh about it or even make smashing buildings part of the game.

Drawing, cutting, and stringing beads or tubular pasta also can strengthen small muscles. So does working with thick clay and Play-doh. Store them where your child can get at them easily but where they're away from the grabbing fingers — and mouths — of any younger siblings.

Your life now
Should you ever apologize when you inappropriately lose your cool with your child? Many experts say, "Sure." Admitting that you made a mistake won't undermine your authority; rather, it gives you credibility. Pointing out that you know you overstepped the rules of civilized behavior underscores the idea that having rules and behaving nicely are important. It shows you're only human and it models remorse. Plus, you're apt to feel a lot better afterward.