In Harju County, over 100 children have been attending woodworking classes after school for fun. The idea to put knives in children's hands came from Saue youth worker Üllar Põld, who noticed how difficult writing had become for children.

"They start by holding it wrong, complaining that the angle is incorrect, that the pencil doesn't write or work. There's a lack of hand strength. But a knife must be held properly and firmly. If they don't grip it firmly, they can't do anything with it. So, strengthening the hand comes first," said Põld.

According to Põld, holding a knife isn't common nowadays, but children actually enjoy carving. In addition to improving fine motor skills, woodworking also teaches patience and helps with concentration.

ERR recently spoke with a member of the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) who mentioned that nowadays, when boys join the military, the first thing they must be taught is how to tie their shoelaces. "Is the situation with manual skills really that dire?" the reporter asked.

"I wish that teacher good luck and strong nerves. I haven't managed to successfully teach shoelace tying myself yet. Today, there are Velcro straps, expensive BOA systems and, in the end, you can always make a permanent knot, slide your foot in and out. If there's no real need, people won't learn," replied Põld.

Elementary school teacher Krista Merilo noted that for years teachers have observed that children's manual skills are becoming progressively weaker and they acquire new fine motor skills with increasing difficulty. More and more children come to school struggling with tasks such as cutting along a line with scissors or properly holding a pencil.

"It makes no difference to me how you hold the pencil, but if you hold it wrong, your handwriting will deteriorate. And when handwriting gets worse, it becomes a little harder to express yourself," said Krista Merilo, a teacher at Järveküla School.

But that's not all. Manual dexterity is directly tied to a child's cognitive development as it enhances thinking, attention and concentration skills. Therefore, Merilo views the decline in children's fine motor skills as a concern. However, she believes that children cannot be blamed because developing skills requires consistent practice.

"We can teach it, but if there are no lace-up shoes in stores, only Velcro ones or if there are no shirts with buttons to put on, then even a fourth grader may struggle with buttoning," said Merilo.

But is it necessary to learn skills that are rarely used in real life – when sneakers have Velcro straps and keyboards replace pens? According to Maire Tuul, an associate professor of early childhood education at Tallinn University, fine motor skills also play a critical role in shaping a child's positive self-image, in addition to training the brain.

"I can manage on my own; I don't have to wait for someone else to come and help me. This means I can be independent, which provides a tremendous boost of positive energy and readiness to take on new challenges. But if I can't manage on my own – can't eat by myself, can't dress myself, don't know how to navigate the world – unfortunately, such children become passive bystanders, waiting for help and constantly feeling like they can't cope, which makes them less likely to try anything new," Tuul explained.

According to Tuul, it is crucial to teach children independence from a young age, even though it might be easier for parents to do things for them.

"This is something we see in kindergartens too – parents are always in a rush and don't have the five minutes to let their child take off their own clothes when they arrive. It's much faster if I undress the child myself; the child gets to kindergarten quickly and I get to work quickly. But this actually does a great disservice to the child. They become accustomed to being served. Why should I take my own clothes off when I can just claim I can't do it?" Tuul said.

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