Can anyone talk to me about their almost/ just 4 year old please?

(11 Posts)
fluffyanimal Fri 06-Sep-13 10:56:31

My DS2 turned 4 last month and has just started school. He's bright, boisterous, full of energy, happy to talk to adults and children alike. He loves vehicles, Octonauts, and is just starting to get interested in Batman and Spiderman. He plays much more imaginatively with his toys than DS1 ever did. He is very interested in words and spelling, loves messy play and painting but not drawing or colouring.

He potty trained late but is now reliable during the day, and touch wood seems to have recently cracked it at night too. He isn't a great sleeper; we are just managing to wean him off having someone to sit with him while he goes to sleep (DH can now leave him, but he insists I stay if I put him to bed), and most nights he will wake at least once. Also, he is quite a fussy eater but is slowly improving on that score too.

He is very strong minded and likes to contradict just for the sake of it, or to insist that he does not like or want to do whatever has just been suggested, even though we know he likes it! When playing with other children he is good at sharing but quite bossy and likes to tell everyone what to do.

He is very affectionate and sometimes quite clingy with me. He can be quite full-on and exhausting, but mostly he is quite hilarious!

WhatHo Fri 06-Sep-13 10:46:36

Also, DD1 loves numbers and letters and drawing, but has a pretty short attention span for anything other than being read to.

Judy, is there anything in particular?

WhatHo Fri 06-Sep-13 10:44:39

My DD is very like flossy's DS, though less active, being a girl I guess. She still tantrums, though not often, good old-fashioned floor sobbing, and can be very whiny. She prefers a couple of friends to large groups - she finds them overwhelming. She can be remarkably grown up and reasonable, right up until the moment it's all too much, and I suddenly have to remember she was only born in 2009! I think 3-4 year olds are very intense little people, they are half babies, half reasoning child. DD1 feels things VERY deeply.

mummyxtwo Fri 06-Sep-13 10:40:02

Ds1 went through a pretty boisterous phase around 4. He has always been lively and forever on the go, but he seemed to be harder to manage and could also be prone to sulkiness and getting emotional when told off. Some of the other children at his nursery went through a hitting phase around that time - they all seem to get a bit wound up at that age. Ds1 is now 4.9yo and just started Reception. The class sounds like it has calmed down considerably and I'm not hearing lots of reports of other children hitting anymore. Ds1 is still lively, that is his personality, but is actually rather delightful currently. He is better behaved and mostly does as he is told, is very interactive and forever asking me questions which can also be extremely trying and wanting me to put on voices for his toy cars and planes 24/7. Certainly over the past few months, he has noticeably developed into a more obedient and really quite charming little boy. So don't worry - 4yo is a tough age, it will get better!

My DS was 4 three weeks ago and started school today.

Dry in the day and night. Chatty, but not really loud. Sociable and able to play with other children. Likes painting, running around, role play, anything messy. Able to tell the time in hours and half hours, can count and do sums up to 10. Recognises letters. Likes books and able to concentrate but haven't tried teaching him to read. Little interest in writing. Likes Scooby Doo and Swashbuckers (or Squashbugglers, as he calls it). Loves music and singing. Is an expert on the iPad blush

Whinges when tired, gets stroppy if asked to do something he doesn't want to do. Will tantrum on occasion. Sometime fussy about food. Sleeps inconsistently - will frequently awake at night.

buffersandbumpers Thu 05-Sep-13 22:00:47

Just posted a similar message re my nearly 5yo! Just returned to work too and finding her really hard. Sorry - can't help v much. Wish I could

oopnorthmum Thu 05-Sep-13 21:56:21

Hi all, my DS will be 4 in November. Is also extremely loud an has a good vocabulary. Loves running around and riding his bike without stabilisers. He adores trains, cars and aeroplanes, we always have them EVERYWHERE in the house. Enjoys his wooden railway, makes very detailed train tracks. Generally quite well behaved, although sometimes getting him to listen can be a challenge. He has never been one for tantrums. He has been dry since 2.4, also dry and night with no problems. He is beginning to read, can sound out words, and can read Biff, chip and Kipper level 1 books. Can just about write his name, although not very neatly and only when he feels like it. Loves numbers, can do simple sums. Knows all the car makes, especially his favourite VOLVO! which he shouts when he sees one! Has been doing 60 piece puzzles since last Christmas, can tell the time in hours and half hours. He has always slept well, bed at 7pm awake at 7.30. Eats really well, enjoys fruit and veg, and pasta (his favourite)

Judyandherdreamofhorses Thu 05-Sep-13 21:48:54

Thank you. Both of those posts are really helpful and the DC sound lovely (if exhausting!).

flossymuldoon Thu 05-Sep-13 21:39:01

My DS is 4 in 4 days.
He's very active and sounds as much time as possible running round like loon. When he's home he spends a lot of time climbing and jumping off the furniture and throwing the cushions around. He loves the park, particularly one that his a large sandpit. He talks and asks questions constantly and cannot sit still.
When he's not doing that he's engrossing himself in his recent obsession - farms. He builds a farm almost every day. They are quite detailed, have fences and pens for the animals. Sometimes it even has a dinosaur pen!
He plays outside in the and out a lot and builds his farms in there too. His favourite place to visit on earth in the farm and play barn. He pretends to be animals quite a lot. This obsession seems to have lasted longer than any others.

He has recently discovered the iPad and likes to watch YouTube videos about farms. He loves books and can sit nicely and look through his books for longer than he will sit still for anything. He has no interest in drawing or writing but all of a sudden in the last month he loves colouring books. Still no interest in writing though.He loves numbers and counting and appears quite advanced does sums on his fingers.

He is fairly shy and gets overwhelmed quite easily. He is quite particular who he plays with and prefers a couple of close friends rather than being part of a large group. He can be a bit controlling at times and doesn't respond we'll to being told what to do. There is always excuse as to why he does want to do what we are asking I'm to do.

He is a bit whiny from time to time but rarely tantrums. He recently having a bit of a tough time with all his best friends leaving nursery to go to school so his behaviour has been a bit strange at times in the last couple of weeks.

Toileting has been a nightmare. He's been out of nappies for a year and is still not reliably dry. It appears that it's the thing that goes to pot if he's not happy. He still wears nappies a night and there's no sign that he will be out of them anytime soon.

He doesn't eat a massive variety of foods but has a really good balanced diet. He's a fantastic sleeper and only wakes at night when he's ill, but he's still an early riser and is up between 6 and 6.30.

OldLadyKnowsNothing Thu 05-Sep-13 21:05:50

My dgs is that age, and sleeps here two or three nights a week with his dad, so I know him quite well. He's very active, very LOUD, hardly ever shuts up (if not in conversation, he's giving a running commentary on his Thomas train or whatever) and has a vivid imagination. His food likes and dislikes change from day to day and there's usually some persuation but he eats a fairly varied diet, eventually. He loves long baths and has a settled bedtime routine. He's fully clean and dry by day, but still sometimes wets at night. Socialises well with other dc he knows, but is unaccountably quiet at nursery. He's cheeky and makes jokes with his dad, knows his basic manners and sits at the table to eat. Anything else? smile

Judyandherdreamofhorses Thu 05-Sep-13 20:57:51

Anyone fancy describing their child to me? I'm just having parenting wobbles that I can't even articulate. Maybe it would help if I heard tales about what other DC of this age are like, are doing, are experiencing, so i can see if I'm getting anything right. I've just returned to work this week after 4 years, and have a 1 yo DS too, so plenty of reasons for my worrying I suppose.


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