to want someone to tell me this is just a fucking phase?!

[ohbugrit]

So, today has been tough - work are desperately short staffed and DH is working half the night so I had to beg a favour from my mum to look after the DC while I worked this morning and then I'd invited two friends and their DC round to play in the afternoon. So, from the point of view of DS (4, nearly 5), he's had a fab day - Granny, his usual saturday play session which he loves, two ice creams, his two best friends to play, the paddling pool and his favourite dinner.

He has done nothing but whinge at me all afternoon. He was sad because Granny couldn't stay all day, sad that he couldn't have a third ice cream, sad that he only has one paddling pool (I mean WTF?!), sad that his friends couldn't stay forever, sad that he couldn't stay up late watching TV and sad that I asked him to help me tidy the garden toys up before bed. He cried about all of the above plus more.

It's hot, I'm tired, DH has had very bad news about MIL today and DS is also obviously very tired after a really busy day. But even 20 month old DD was less hassle. It's so hard to be patient when no matter how much fun he has it's never ever good enough. AIBU because he's little and tired or is he being a bit of a brat? I am too whacked out to have any perspective and DH isn't here.

at the image of your four year little old emo OP.

I didn't say it was OPs fault!!
It was an explanation.
It also won't affect 2 DCs in the same way! Wouldn't life be simple if every DC in the family were the same and you could parent them in the same way?!
Some DCs pick up on parents moods, some don't- some do one day and not the next. If they are tired they are more likely to tune in, if they are full of the joys of spring that day they won't tune in.
I have a very negative friend, sometimes it depresses me and sometimes it doesn't.
It was meant to be helpful as a comment!
I'm glad loweregnumber got it and explained it well - I believe it to be true.
There is no need to feel guilty- I can't think of any parents who go through life without stress.

I knew what you meant, exotic :)

Good! I was a bit horrified to come back and find that it was interpreted as being your fault! It is real life, I'm not at all sure that it is good for DCs to live in a bubble of happiness - they need to know that people get stressed and can deal with it,

If its any comfort both of mine are like this. I have to constantly remind them of what they have and to be thankful but somehow the injustice of that ice cream I said no to or the extra 10 minutes in the garden they had to miss to have a bath outweigh the days out, places we take them,treats and trips to the park.