How does a child draw the family? With one repeating rule: every person is three circles — head, torso, legs — and only the size changes: dad tallest, mom next, the child smallest in the middle. Six steps build the portrait: draw dad, then mom, then the child between them, join the hands with simple lines, add smiling faces and one signature detail each, then a green ground line and a sun — and the family portrait is ready to hang.
Why the family drawing matters more than any other
Because it is the first drawing that is personally theirs — not an animal from a book but their own people. Specialists read family drawings as a window into a child's feelings: whoever is drawn big and close is their center of safety. Never correct the sizes or order — watch and enjoy; it is a natural stage of drawing development.
The six steps
1. Dad first (tallest): three stacked circles — small head, bigger torso, legs — on one side. 2. Mom next: the same three circles slightly shorter, longer hair around the head. 3. The child in the middle: the smallest — every child laughs drawing themselves tiny in between. 4. The joined hands: two lines from each person meeting the next one's hand — all the warmth lives here. 5. Faces and features: two eyes, a dot nose, a wide smile for everyone, plus one signature each: dad's glasses, the child's backpack. 6. The scene: a green ground line, a corner sun, and a small heart above the family.
How each member differs
| Family member | The drawing difference |
|---|---|
| Dad | Tallest, slightly wider shoulders |
| Mom | Longer hair, a triangle dress torso |
| The child | Smallest, hands reaching both ways |
| Grandparents | A small cane or glasses and white hair |
| The baby | Just two circles inside a stroller |
Questions parents ask
My child drew themselves bigger than everyone! Normal and lovely — children draw importance, not real sizes; the stage passes on its own.
They forgot their brother — should I point it out? As a game, not a scold: and where shall we put your brother? — they will add him laughing.
How do we level it up? Teach faces and expressions so each member gets real features, then the simple person to grow circles into full bodies — and Rasm Kids course arranges the whole journey into short lessons from age 5.
