Help ds 3.4 is sooo miserable. He's changed....

[nonickno]

Ds used to be the happiest, sweetest, cleverest, popular little boy and I don't know why he now walks around like misery guts. He's mumbling, he peed on the sofa this week, something that he's never done before (it took us a day to potty train him 14 months ago). He's so serious although dh, dd and I are often laughing. Play school is just "boring playing" and he only wants to watch tv. He only wants to go to play school when his only friend is there (and he cries if he can't be with this boy) - really strange as ds has always been extremely socialised and sociable and everyones favourite little boy. Play school say he's fine and ahead in his development.
Is there anything obvious I'm missing here...? I promise I'm not a neurotic mum looking for problems, it's my instinct telling me something is wrong but f**k knows what it is or how to help him.

not sure I can help much but I didn't want your thread to go unanswered.

have there been any changes at playschool/home - routine, new kids starting, key worker changing, anything that could have unsettled him? dd always more difficult at pre-school at the start of a new term.

other thing could be that he is bored. my dd is way ahead of her peers when it comes to academical development and if she isn't stimulated enough she becomes extremely difficult if play school say he is ahead how are they dealing with this? could it be the problem?

just some suggestions.

Thank you. Nothing has changed at all with routines etc... which makes me think, as you said,he needs more stimulation. Will try that first. Better get the books out and bring on the spring time!

Lots of sympathy, mine's 3.7 and similar. I just try to be sympathetic but not pay too much attention to it IYSWIM? So jolly along doing my thing and he can join in if he decides he wants to. Lots of positivity. But it's hard, some days he cries loads and seems so emotional and I don't have a way of helping him. Loads of cuddles whenever he's in good form though. Hoping it passes.

How long has it been going on? Only wondered, because both my boys get grumpy, and wet themselves etc if they are having growth spurts.

My eldest got quite clingy at that age. Lived in an imaginary world for much of the time and wouldn't join in. It did pass.

rickymummy - that's so interesting! Ds has been feeling/ acting this way since the beginning of the year and he's now the size of a 5 year old. How long does a growth spurt last?

doricpatter - Comforting to know he is not alone. Cuddles are good as you say.

rickymummy - the growth spurt thing is very interesting.

nonickno - winter is harder, can't wait for spring either

Hi

A few weeks in the case of my two. It was particularly obviously with my eldest. he would get grumpy, have bad dreams, not concentrate, wet himself, bump into things. Then he would eat like a horse for a week or so, and then it would all be back to normal.

Some times he would grow, others he would have some sort of development spurt - he did it before he crawled, walked, started talking clearly, pedalled his trike, even started to read...

I just used to ease right back for a couple of weeks, let him hibernate and tell his nursery carers to do the same, and it always eased. x

rickymummy you just described my dd at the moment. will see if it correlates.

Wow, that's exactly what DS does!

My 3yo dd is having problems like this, she has wet herself a couple of times and is constantly hungry atm. She has also become very clingy.

Now it all makes sense!