My ds is just about to turn 4. He was always very placid as a baby and as a toddler, and is generally good natured and outgoing. So many people commented to me what a happy, good-natured child he was, right up until he was 3. But I have to say I don't know what's come over him - he has started to get a little aggressive with other kids and gets pretty uptight if he doesn't get what he wants.
I've noticed that he is worst with young toddlers. As punishment I've had to remove him from a couple of different playgrounds now, because if there are children there who are smaller than him, he tends to try and push them around - NOT in a physical sense, he's never hit another child, but he does it verbally, like he's trying to intimidate them. I've heard him go up to a toddler and yell at them to go away/get out of here, and this morning (to my absolute horror) I saw him holding up one of his shoes as though he was going to hit a little girl with it. He didn't do it, but it was like he was trying to show her who's boss, if you know what I mean. I removed him from the playground straight away and he is now spending time-out in his room for it. From what I can see, he tends to play a lot better with children his own age/size, but this aggressive tendency is starting to bother me. I've told him that it's not nice to treat other children like that and he will be punished whenever I see him doing it. He says he understands what I'm saying, but then he just does it again. Is this kind of thing normal?? Help - I'm despairing of his behaviour right now.