I have a very distinct memory from when I was young where I asked my mom to buy me a cursive writing practice book. You know, the ones with the pages of letters that you used to trace to learn how to write in cursive. This was before I had started school, but I had an older friend who was writing in cursive and I thought it was cool and wanted to be like her and learn how. My mom didn’t buy me the pad, because she said I would be learning it in school when I started in a few months. She told me she was worried that I could “learn incorrectly” if I tried to teach myself or started “too early” — as if learning to write cursive in July is difficult but in September it would be just the right time.
At the time I remember being very disappointed and not understanding why my mom wouldn’t want me to learn something. She always encouraged learning, so I was confused as to why I was not allowed to learn to write in cursive. Looking back now, I sort of understand her concerns, but I still think it was bunk. I doubt delaying my learning of cursive for a few months stunted my education in any way. But I think that if I was in the same situation as a parent I would encourage the curiosity in my children. I don’t have kids (well, for at least another month anyway), but I imagine the child will make it known to you when they are ready to learn. At that point it is on the parent to recognize their curiosity and encourage it. Again, I have no kids, so this is pure speculation based on my own experience as a kid.
Besides, who uses cursive nowadays anyway? Maybe my mom was right all along.
