When do you start worrying about the neatness of your kids writing? I have a just turned 7 and a 5 year old and we’ve done HWOT but they are still so sloppy, and i struggle to get them to do more writing or to focus long enough to do it over again until its perfectly neat. Some days it happens, others not so much, but I wonder if its just age… My 7 year old is a lefty too, so there’s that!
My 7yo just seems to be lazy when it comes to handwriting. We tried HWOT also. When we did the pages in that book her writing was BEAUTIFUL, but as soon as the writing doesn’t pertain to HWOT it looks like scribbles. Sometimes, when it’s atrocious, I have her write it over again (that is a MAJOR struggle - she gets SO upset), but usually I just let it go. I have things of my own from childhood and my writing was jaw-dropping messy. Eventually, it got neater. I like to think there is hope 
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The way I have approached this with my 7 and 9 year old boys is that handwriting is an “art form” that you can make incredibly personal. I am encouraging them to develop and use cursive as an outward expression of how they want what they write to be seen. Neatness, mood, size, style and feelings can all be conveyed through this “art”.
Most of the time readable and sometimes very creative results are seen.
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We are new to home schooling and the struggle to get our 3 boys (10, 8, and 8) to write is real! I have found by using Draw Write Now they are getting in writing practice, while learning about different animals and cultures in history. If you have never heard of it, it is designed with the idea that when we draw, using basic lines and technique outlined in the program, handwriting becomes easier. The author has developed it so the drawings mimic basic line movements for letter formation. For one of my 8yr olds, sitting is a challenge, but when he is able to draw, he can focus so much better. I break the lessons down and take 3 days to complete one. I let him choose whether he is going to draw or write first. He usually chooses the drawing and adding his own background. He will do some coloring, too, but doesn’t finish. The second day, I have him finish the coloring and adding detail, as he chooses. I don’t push him. It’s not worth the battle. The 3rd day I have him copy the text provided in his best handwriting. There are great resources listed at the end of each section to learn more.
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You know I got those books but just handed them over for fun stuff! I’ll have to look at using them more formally.
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I love the idea of writing as an art form. That’s how I used to look at it, I know my art crazy 7 year old will love it Thanks!