Anyone else's 4 or 5 year old not want to grow up?

[singersgirl]

DS2 turned 5 yesterday. He's extremely ambivalent about growing up, and the whole birthday thing was a cause of some distress. On the night before his birthday, he was in floods of tears, saying that he didn't want to be 5 and he wanted to stay 4 for ever.

I said lots of comforting things about how all his friends were 5 now, and how nothing would change tomorrow, and how he would always be my little boy no matter how old he got. At one point I jokingly suggested we cancel his birthday and he sobbed: "Even if you cancel it, I will still be 5."

We've had lots of upset over giving up night-time Pull-Ups too. He is pretty much dry all the time at night, but gets dreadfully upset about the idea of not wearing a nappy.

Am I raising an infantilist? Or is he just having early intimations of mortality? And how do I help him deal with growing up?

Singersgirl, is there anything new or different going on in his life atm? New baby, starting school?

I'd let him continue in nappies for now, or at least until you can get work out why he distressed. Sorry, haven't really got any proper advice.

I have one like that singersgirl (girl who will be 5 in October). Isn't it exasperating? Been like pulling teeth to teach her to dress herself, go to toilet, do anything for herself, really. Is your ds very anxious about most things? I am trying to work on that with DD. Also stil in night nappies and deliberately likes to wee in them (sigh).
Good luck.

DS1 is like that. He's 5.7 and although he is quite excited about being 6, he doesn't want to grow up. I thought it was due to DS2 coming along and everybody referring to him as 'the big brother'.

No suggestions I'm afraid tho, although I would agree with Mercy in that continuing to let him wear the pull ups overnight may be the best thing until you figure out why he's distressed. xx

Thanks for your thoughts!. He doesn't really seem particularly anxious about things - in fact, he is quite laid back generally - and he's in many ways quite independent, which is why I find it a bit odd.

Mercy, there's nothing new in his life, apart from being 5! He's a bit uncertain about going into Y1, and the change at the start of the new school year, so that may be something to do with it.

I was going to leave him in the night time nappies, but we ran out a couple of days ago, and DH told me not to replace them. DS cried a bit the first night, but hasn't mentioned it since - though when my mum commented yesterday (in a positive way) he looked all woebegone and pathetic.