I think that you are doing the right thing by not making too big a deal of the times he's clumsy. He is hard enough on himself. It is great that you have him in Judo. Martial arts definitely increase a child's self-esteem. Make sure that when you talk about him to other adults, that he is not within ear shot. Overhearing his parents talking about his left-handed clumsiness and that his 4 year old bro is more co-ordinated would shatter his self-esteem. I'm not saying that you do, but it's a common thing for all parents to be guilty of on occasion!

You may think I am nutty, but I recommend putting him in ballet classes. Ballet focuses on strength, coordination, balance, and flexibility. If he balks and says that the other kids are going to tease him, then tell him that many football players, boxers, and other macho athletes have ballet training.

Good luck. I am left-handed too, so I feel for your kid!

At the moment we are trying to focus on how well he behaves, ie helping out around the house, doing his homework well... To be honest it is really hard to find "active" and sporty things he can do better than Alex!! I know second kids develop a lot faster than the first, mainly by copying big brother or sis, but Alex is something else again! Still, we are encouraging our older boy with his writing, which has come on in leaps and bounds, and he is getting very good in the water. He has an interest in learning scuba diving ( like his mom) and it certainly seems to be a place feels at home. Perhaps being in the water makes him feel more comfortable. He is certainly a lot more graceful!

> My eldest son is left handed and has a strong preference for his left hand in almost everything he does. > He seems to be a lot clumsier and less co-ordinated than even his younger brother, who is only 4! > He turns 7 soon, and is still at the "funny run" stage, all arms and legs flying everywhere. He struggles to make his body do what he wants it to do, and although his sport of judo is helping with co-ordination etc. and we are seeing an improvement ( for example he has now mastered a forward roll! At last!) I just wonder if anyone has any ideas how we might be able to help him further. > We try not to make a big deal out of it, but he gets frustrated when his younger brother can do things that he can´t!! Any advice appreciated!

That does sound tough. Maybe you can focus on one skill at a time, and let him get really good at it. That would probably be a confidence booster, and help him tackle the next one. I'm sure it is tough for him, and he is probably frustrated. Are there certain things he can do better than his younger brother? You could also offer a lot of praise for those things to make him feel more comfortable. I'll bet the judo class is a big help, too!