To find age 4 (boy) a difficult age?

[alittlebitofritasallineed]

Really struggling with ds age 4 right now. No SN, loving "normal" home life and circumstances etc but find myself shouting a lot recently. Aibu to be finding it a challenging age?

What is occasioning the shouting? Has he just started school?

all children are different i suppose but i find my 4 year old very easy... my 6 year old on the other hand 🙄

YANBU to find it difficult - all kids are different and will be challenging at different ages.

Personally, I found the baby stage really hard - just so relentless and tiring . My son is 4 (almost 5) and I am finding it easier now as he is more independent, can amuse himself a bit, eats/sleeps well. However, if your child isn't like that then I can see why it would be hard.

Is there anything particular you find difficult? People may be able to give suggestions?

I found my DSD really difficult at 4, as did DP. Now she's 6 she's so much easier. I think different kids go through different difficult ages.

There is a book called Raising Boys that was recommended to me. Apparently there is a shift in hormones at around this stage that can account for a change in behaviour.

Another excerpt

It was my favourite age - but all children are different and also adults in their response to challenges. What is your particular difficulty OP - is it just that he's just 'being s boy', exuberant, running around, finds it hard to sit still or is there something specific?

6&7 only get worse lol.

I can spot a four year old at 50 paces, some are worse than others but often I find them reverting to toddler behaviour but should know better by now.

He's just started school and is summer born so young for his year. No problems at all but just moments at home he is silly (not constantly, not even badly behaved, just simply silly) which I admit, I find irritating. I think age 3 he felt more "controllable" ironically but now he's 4 I don't know what tack to take - tell off, reprimand, ignore, laugh etc

I've also found it to be a bit of a difficult age. They're desperate to be independent and do things for themselves, but get frustrated when they can't - either because you're the one saying no, or because they technically can't do it. Tantrums, stubbornness... 🙈

On the plus side this has been when his personality is really taking shape and it's wonderful to see... I'm just trying to cling to that feeling when he's being really testing!

Used to work with kids this age in a playscheme, they would arrive and literally bounce off the walls for half an hour. Don't know whether the surge of hormones thing is correct, but 4 year old boys have a lot of physical energy, not a lot of sense, strong feelings and a short concentration span. Coop them up in small spaces, ask them to sit still and trouble ensues. A friend of mine reckons treat them like puppies- loads of running about, lots of play, loads of cuddles, firm clear boundaries, loads of praise and immediate consequences for breaking the rules.