is your 4yo boy like this?

[Abelia]

ds has just turned 4 and when he's not being hilarious, loving and generally fab he is driving me insane. eg

every time I come into a room he's in, he is "hiding", jumps out, shouts "boo!" and I am supposed to shout "aargh" in a high-pitched scream. (if I don't he asks me over and over to do it)

he is very keen on numbers and counts to 100 endlessly, or asks me to count to 100. he even tries to count to 100 when we play hide and seek, though I have banned that now.

if things don't go his way he says "awww it's not faaaaaaaiiiir" over and over, gets all hangdog and pouty.

if we play games he makes up unfathomable rules and gets cross with me when I don't understand or can't comply. he won't let me help with anything but gets furious with himself for not being to do things like games, building, riding his bike.

I am sure this is all normal 4 yo territory but as it's just me and him here, after a weekend I am ready to pack my bags and leave him to it, as apparently he knows best about everything . Thank goodness for preschool tomorrow!

Can anyone share my pain? I can't wait for him to start in reception but we will have the summer holidays to get through first.

Well my boy is 3.5 and sounds fairly similar. As you say, thank goodness for preschool.

Also, because of the month he was born DS doesn't start in reception until September next year. I think I'll be a wreck by then

ouch, that's the one drawback to winter-borns - you have to wait longer for them to start school!

I understand but hate to be the one to inform you that at 6yo my DS has not yet passed this stage. I am a LP too. In fact I have banned DS from the hiding and boo as a) he will do it when I'm in loo and actually hide so I can't find him and 2) jump at me when I'm carrying hot drinks, food etc.

I have a 4yo DD and she does the same things. She seems to be finally getting bored with the hiding thing after about 6months of doing it every time I left the room! She's pretty sulky and stroppy atm, although we have just had DC3 so guess I should give her a bit of a break!

I used to have one.
It's boy stuff. He's 15 now and has replaced all those annoying things with new but equally irritating ones

er, yes, he is. The numbers thing he does on a morning - he has a poster on his wall and he sits and counts up to 100 - also helpfully pointing out when he reaches the number of a car 'thats lightnings number' or 'thats chicks number' and so on. I thought the counting was a bit freakish - obviously its not!
he won't ask for help - he'll just roll around on the floor and whine pathetically when his lego falls apart or something similar
he insists on having the SAME SODDING SONG on the cd in the car, over and over.
when I wont buy him a new toy, he has a big paddy 'IVE GOT NOTHING, NOTHING' he yells, when in fact he has more toys than most 4 year olds I would think.
he loves hiding, especially in places that make me panic because I can't find him (which is anywhere frankly - because even at home I think sh*t he's gone out the front door, but its worse in supermarkets) I've lost count of the number of times I've had to explain why its not 'fun' for mummy when he hides, to no avail.
so yes, I have one too!!

so pleased I am not alone, and all your posts have made me esp lynniep's ds having "NOTHING". My ds has soooo much stuff, and he never plays with it. But is always asking for things he sees on tv or in shops.