Where has my lovely little boy gone? (advice and coping techniques required)

[Mummyofthreebeauties]

My DS1 is 4 in August and until a month ago was the kindest, happiest, most laid-back boy. Now he is angry, aggressive, constantly crying with little flashes of our lovely little boy now and again.

Do I remember rightly that they get a testosterone boost around this age? Is this a normal development in a boy (he has an older sister). And what should I do, all the usual naughty step, etc just seem to escalate it. It is like having a teenager in the house.

Adoption is under consideration.

Sounds like a hormone boost to me. DS2 has been going through a phase like this (he was four last weekend).

i have had some success with making ds laugh.

i don't believe in these hormone thingywings, for the small it is difficult to understand and express lots of feelings (cross, hungry, wistful, energetic....)

Thank goodness its not just my DS, I have been browsing the threads for info and instantly feel better- i am not alone!!!!

My DS is 3.5 and everything is an issue at the mo, alot of the time he is lovely but when he isn't its bad!!!I feel so cross with him as he can be embarrassing, this mornng we had friends over to play and he was awful- refused to speak, refused to share, screamed and cried if someone walked in front of the TV or his game etc- i sat him on the step as we always do and he refused to apoligise- he was there nearly 30 mins!!!!feel like were going backwards

I shouted at him and feel bad about that 2-but the glares from my friend were driving me insane!!!!

They ahve now gone home and DS is lovley again!!!

Sorry i have hijacked your thread,,

but thanks so very much xxxxx

My ds is similar age and displaying similar behaviour but it has been going on for months. Had mother of all bad mornings today when another child came to visit him and ds was appalling!! Have never seen him so bad - very aggressive, lots of hitting, not sharing. But quite extreme - so bad that I was more shocked than embarrassed. He has calmed down now he is alone again. Need to have chat with him about it this afternoon - desperate to help him to understand that there other ways of dealing with his emotions. Any tips?

Its so not just your son, mine is an absolute bloody horror at the moment and seems to be much worse when I am on the phone or there are other people around!! Roll on school in September!!

Oh and mine, although reading this I've a long road ahead of me. My DS is 2.8 and is everything you've described above...
H.E.L.P

So glad it is not just mine- I have collected him from the naughhty chair almost every morning this week. might just be something in the air as his 2.5yr old sister is even worse in some aspects.

I am finding the naughty step just isn't getting through, but am having limited success with a naughty shelf, althuogh the confiscated toy does a longer stint eg comes back after tea.

To think I have another 15 years or so of his foul behaviour...lets not even consider the hell I will have with my girls [scared emoticon]

Thanks for the responses, I feel reassured that I am not alone!

I am starting to work out out what the triggers are as he is OK with other people, at nursery etc. A lot of it seems to be frustration-based which he is expresses as anger, being aggressive, etc. He has also started making up his own swear words which is really funny. I am hoping it is him growing up and working out how to deal with life. Till now he has been happy to go along with the games his sister made up but as he gets older this isn't the case but I think he doesn't know why. Does that make any sense?

It is also bad when he is tired or when we are all around and life is noisy, etc. Again I think he knows he doesn't enjoy this amount of noise etc but doesn't know why.

Feels a bit sad that my happy go-lucky toddler has disappeared (hoepfully only for the time being).