Is age 4 more or less annoying the age 3?!!

[posieflump]

My ds is driving me and dh bananas.
he doesn't do what he's told half the time, takes things off his little sister all the time, tells us he can't do things that we know he can (like putting his shoes on for example).
Anyway he is 4 next month and I was wondering (make that hoping) things would get easier... am I fooling myself?

[Nemoandthefishes]

4 is harder ime..ds has more influence externally now from nursery etc and seems to push the boundaries a little more..or tries to..although the learning to read etc is tres cute.

[meemar]

Still annoying, but different

You'll find that instead of telling you he can't do things, he will suddenly know everything. And correct you all the time.

[Nemoandthefishes]

oh yes meemar..sooo sooo true!! DS now thinks he is an adult!

[Feelingbetterslowly]

Sadly it gets worse!!! But you are more used to it IYSWIM! Dd reduced me to tears in a posh restaurant yesterday

[MerlinsBeard]

my 4 yo is worse than my nearly 3 yo!

4yo is never wrong, knows everything and listens to only the things he wants to hear. my 3 yo is just being 3

[Ledodgy]

You get alot more attitude sometimes it's like living with a teenager. They pick up annoying habits and mannerisms from school.

[Feelingbetterslowly]

He he, it's not just mine then! All poor dd keeps hearing (so it seems) is "I'm fed up of this attitude"!!

[meemar]

DS1 has recently started saying
'ohhh maaaan!' in a really awful mock American accent when something doesn't go his way.

It is both hilarious and infuriating

[Feelingbetterslowly]

I used to love it when dd did that-does he put a sad litle "weary of the world" look on his face too? The hi fives are great too!

[Ledodgy]

Yeah I have the hi fives to look forward too staryting next week.

[posieflump]

oh god, so when does that stage finish?!!
Today dh took ds into town to get his glasses fixed.
Ds started trying on the glasses and refused to give dh a pair back and had a complete meltdown in the shop - cue dh being very cross and the trip ruined.

ds later revealed to me in the bath that he wanted to be a grownup and wear glasses like Daddy which of course made dh feel bad but, ffs, he could have broken them

[meemar]

Also if you have a younger child the bossiness really kicks in at 4! DS1 tries to control DS2 (age 2.6) to the point of telling him what to 6say^ during their games

Other common phrases at the moment;
'But its not faaaaaaaaaair!'
'You aren't being nice to me!' (when being told off)
'nobody likes me' (also when being told off)

On the positive side though, I have found that DS1's imaginative and creative skills have really kicked in, especially since starting school. We have some fantastic, bizarre and interesting conversations and he is lovely to be around when he is not being a stroppy teenager

[slng]

4 is better than 3 - as meemar says at least you get to have surreal conversations when they are not in a strop! I love that. Gives you an insight into life as you never seen it before ... Though DS1 does the "but I'm just doing xxx" thing which IMO is not as good as "why?" Bring back "why"!

[tortoiseSHELL]

Oh the annoyances are just different.

Age 2 - they get frustrated at being unable to communicate
Age 3 - they can tell exactly WHAT they're annoyed about
Age 4 - they can tell you WHY you're unfair to make them do the thing they're annoyed about
Age 5 - they tell you WHAT they're going to do instead
Age 6 - they tell you WHERE to go.

Ds1 is 6, so I have the delights of 7,8,9 etc to come!

[posieflump]

oh I was right, it is all grim!

[GooseyLoosey]

Have one 4 and one 3 and would not say either was better.

The 4 yr old knows everything, has selective hearing and the attitude of a 15 year old (at times)

the 3 year old whinges whenever she doesn't get her own way and throws the most almighty tantrums (which don't stop when you ignore her).

Ds is 5 soon and no doubt that will bring more fun things.