DS still wants constan attention at home

[Nanoon]

DS1 is 3.6 and and attends nursery 2 full days a week and spends one day with my mum. I am currently on maternity leave with DS2 (17wks)and the two days i have both of them at home and over the weekend are a bit of a juggle but we get through (said through gritted teeth).

A problem we have is when friends or family come to visit or for a meal etc and DS1 is so demanding, he wants someones (anyones) attention for the entire time they are here. it doesn't make for a very relaxing experiecne for anyone when at any given time someone has to sit and play on the floor, read books etc.

On the whole he is very poor at entertaining himself but when its just us at home i do put my foot down as he is more than capable as he can be indipendant at nursery.

Is this the norm for this age, am i expecting too much?

Its really frustrating isn't it Nanoon.

My DS is 4.8 and now starting to amuse himself more at home (with transformre/power ranger figures etc) so it should improve eventually. We people visit I make a huge effort to include him initially as his 3 yr old sister tends to get most of the attention (she sings and dances, he jumps on people and trys to wrestle them!).

Does he ever get one-to-one attention - time when there is just you and him doing something together? Where he is the centre of your attention? Because it sounds as if that's what he's trying to get.

The new baby may well have left him feeling that he's been pushed out a bit, and he is trying to remind you that he's your baby still, and he needs you too. He isn't four yet; he can't be independant all the time.

lol scatty, DS1 also spends most of the time jumping on people!

WigWamBam - he gets loads of one on one attention from both myself and DH. Infact DS2 gets left pretty much to it when i have both of them at home (only when he is happy and content of course). He was like this well before DS2 came along. All fiends and family have been really careful not to lavish loads of attention on new baby.

My Ds is the same and always has been ever since he was a baby. I don't really know what you do and I really struggle with it. It's really difficult to tell whether he really is in need of more attention or just demanding. it drives me insane though. He has got better as he's got older and is becoming much more able to play by himself but still refuses to go to the loo on his own or out of the room without someone. I worry because lots of my friends children aren't like that and just seem to be able to get on with it much more. I do wonder as well if it is a boy thing.

Sorry. I'm not sure this is much help.Good luck though and if you come up with any answers let me know!