Why We Love Scissors

My little Queen B loves her scissors. Rarely a day will pass by without her asking for a paper to cut into. And lately, I have noticed how good she had become in using it. 

Some parents who have a child as young as my daughter will be shocked or even be downright disapproving of her using scissors. They will deem this skill too dangerous for a small child to learn and practice on. Of course, I do believe that every child is different and they learn at varied paces but generally, a child is developmentally ready to use scissors at age 2. 

According to Kimberly Wiggins, an Occupational Therapist of G & E Therapies, there are 3 major benefits in letting your kids learn the skill of scissor cutting at a young age. They are:

• Cutting with scissors allows a child to build up the tiny muscles in the palm of his hands since he has to continuously open and close his hands. These muscles are also used when a child is writing, painting, and holding something with a grip like a toothbrush. 
• Cutting with scissors enhances the child's eye to hand coordination. Eye to hand coordination happens when someone uses her vision, process what she's seeing, and then moves her hand to do a task while still looking at something. This can be a difficult task as it requires the brain to work with two systems. It is very important, though, as a lot of eye to hand coordination is needed throughout one's day like when scooping food with a spoon. 
• Cutting with scissors encourages a child to use bilateral coordination. Bilateral coordination occurs when you use both sides of your body at the same. In the case of cutting a paper using scissors, while one hand is busy opening and closing the scissors, and then moving forward to cut; the other hand must hold the paper and continuously turn it. 

George first learned how to use scissors with a plastic one which was included in a pack of school supplies we received as a giveaway from a birthday party. I remember being so glad to see it because it's a very safe scissors to start her lessons in cutting with scissors. 

At first, she has to hold the scissors with both hands to make it cut something. I have to continuously model the proper handling of it and even arrange her hands so she'll be able to use it properly. I admit during the early weeks, I became kinda frustrated that she is not using it properly that I just decided to let her use it whatever way she likes and comfortable with rather than stress myself out. As long as she's still able to cut a paper and not using it dangerously then it's okay. Well, it appears letting her be is a better way. 

Recently, I have noticed that she's already handling the scissors properly. Practice really does make things perfect. From a plastic scissor and then to decorative craft scissors, she's now using blunt end scissors. She particularly likes the one given to her by her Tita Mich. The other night, she completely surprised me when she cut a letter-sized paper into almost 1x1 sized smaller pieces of paper. And since I mostly give her our long-paid billing statements, I have observed that she is now good at cutting along the lines and I also have no need for a paper shredder, my little Queen will gladly do it for me. 

Kimberly Wiggins also shared the developmental sequence of using the scissors. 

2 years old: snip the ends of a piece of paper

2.5 years old: cut through a piece of paper

3 - 3.5 years old: cut on a 1/2" darkened line 

3.5 - 4 years old: cut out a circle with darkened lines

4.5 - 5 years old: cut out a square with darkened lines

It's also important to let your child practice cutting on different materials like different types and thickness of paper, play dough, cloth, and even leaves or flowers. It ensures that they really know how to cut. Of course, adult supervision and the use of scissors especially made for children are very important when you are training your child in using scissors. 

In our home, I have established rules when my little Queen B wants to use her scissors. First, she can only use the scissors with my permission. Second, only the materials that I have given her can be used for cutting. She can't cut just any material she likes. And third, she must make sure that her workspace is tidy. She usually uses a small bowl as a catch basin of the paper she cut. So far, she's able to follow all these rules dutifully. 

Scissor cutting is a practical life skill a young child can and should learn. There are many benefits to it. It encourages the use different muscles, enhances eye to hand and bilateral coordination, and with the rules established when scissor cutting, it can also be used to teach obedience and other values. And probably why I really love scissor cutting is because it's an activity that can keep my little Queen B busy for a while! 

Totschooling with you, 

      Lady