When the Weighted Pencil Doesn’t Work, You Bring in the Putty
We tried the weighted pencil first. When handwriting was still hard, hand exercise putty became one small but meaningful part of improving my son’s tremors, control, and confidence. Progress was not perfect, but it was real.
What did work for us
When your child struggles with handwriting, one of the first suggestions you usually hear is, try a weighted pencil.
So we did.
And for some kids, that works beautifully.
For my son, it helped a little, but not enough. Writing was still exhausting. His tremors still made control difficult, and frustration showed up fast.
That was when we realized we needed to work on the foundation before expecting handwriting itself to improve.
That is when we brought in the putty.
Why putty worked for us
My son was already working incredibly hard in occupational therapy practicing handwriting. His therapists were helping him build control and endurance, and we wanted something simple we could continue at home without turning every afternoon into more school or more therapy.
The biggest reason putty worked was simple.
It felt like playing.
He could stretch it, squeeze it, roll it, and pull it apart while watching TV or sitting at the table talking. It did not feel like handwriting practice, and because of that, there was almost no resistance.
We did not even use all the colors. We stuck with yellow, red, and green and kept things predictable.
Sometimes less choice makes participation easier.
This is the putty we used
We used hand exercise putty at home to support the exercises his occupational therapist recommended. We did not use every color in the set. We stuck with yellow, red, and green and kept things simple so it never felt overwhelming.
If you want to try the same one, this is the exact putty we used:
Get the hand exercise putty here
It felt more like play than therapy, which made a huge difference in getting consistent participation.
The unexpected skill we worked on too: self-control
What I did not expect was how much this helped with self control.
Putty is fun. Really fun.
And for a kid, the natural instinct is to play with it everywhere.
Part of using it meant learning responsibility alongside the exercises.
- He had to keep the putty off fabric so it would not get stuck in clothes or furniture.
- He had to stay at the table.
- He had to put it back in the container when the timer ended.
He was not just strengthening his hands. He was practicing stopping when playtime was over, cleaning up, and taking ownership of his tools.
Those small expectations built independence. Over time there were fewer reminders, less frustration, and more pride when he handled it responsibly.
That confidence carried beyond handwriting.
Our real goal, not the perfect one
The goal was 10 minutes twice a day.
Some days we did both sessions. Some days we only managed once. Some days we did nothing at all because life happens, appointments run late, emotions are big, or everyone is just tired.
And that matters to say out loud.
When you are raising kids who need extra support, there are days where nothing productive gets done, and that has to be ok. That does not erase progress. That is just real life.
We focused on returning to the routine instead of being perfect with it.
What changed over time
Over a few months, combined with his OT work and handwriting practice, we started noticing changes.
- His tremors decreased.
- His grip looked more controlled.
- His handwriting became easier to read.
It is not perfect, and honestly it may never be perfect, but the difference is visible.
And something else changed too. He started believing he could improve.
That confidence matters just as much as the physical progress.
Progress looks boring sometimes
There was no big breakthrough moment. No overnight improvement.
Just small repetitions, missed days, trying again, and a kid working really hard at something that does not come easily.
That is what growth actually looks like in our house.
Free download, Hand Exercise Goal Sheet
For this post, the free resource is a simple Hand Exercise Goal Sheet that helps kids track exercise time, clean up responsibility, independence wins, and effort instead of perfection.
Because sometimes the biggest success is remembering to put the putty away without being asked.
The honest takeaway
If you are in this season right now, here is what I want you to hear.
Consistency matters. Effort matters. But grace matters too.
Some days nothing gets done, and that has to be ok.
Progress still happens when kids feel supported enough to keep trying.
Small changes show up in unexpected places
One thing I did not expect was how these stronger hands started showing up outside of handwriting.
Tasks that used to be frustrating slowly became easier in everyday life too.
That realization deserves its own conversation, because hand strength does not just affect writing. It affects independence.
I’ll share more about that next.
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