"I hate myself"

[AwfulBeryl]

As announced by my lovely 5 year old pfb (well one of my pfbs, he is a dt, not that it's relevent but so as not to drip feed.)
When asked why he said it's because his knee hurts - he has grazed both knees, he is fed up with it and wants it to stop.
He has also said it about being tired and having a sore throat.

He seems really happy and is very confident, settled and popular at school etc.

I am just worried Incase he really does hate himself.
I have always had really low confidence, I look back at my childhood and often I hated the way I was, I always felt shy awkward and a little bit wrong somehow.
I really don't want him to feel the same way.

He doesn't hate himself. It's just his way of trying to express his unhappiness or discomfort.

Talk to him about language...don't mention "hate" but when you see the opportunity, you can introduce him to different ways of expressing himself.

When my 11 and 7 year olds were a bit smaller, I'd say things like "Do you feel cross that you've broken your doll?" or I'd explain the new feelings they had as they came up...so on the first day of a new school I asked them "Does your tummy feel odd?" and of course it would...so then I could explain what butterflies in the stomach really meant and how a little bit of nervousness was making that feeling....

Small kids haven't the language to effectively describe emotions. And they're so small that some feelings are brand new.

thanks TheHouse
You're quite right, I just needed someone to reassure me really.