behaviour in 6yr old boy...

[littlemisschatalot]

my 6yr old boy has gone from a loving, happy boy to a sullen boy who thinks everything is boring...hes always moaning about something, even today when we took him sledging, it was "stupid". this is just a phase....right?

Probably.

And if you jolly him along/argue with him/show that you're bothered it will likely be a long and frustrating phase.

Ignore, ignore, ignore. Don't let it wind you up (or, at least, don't let him see that it winds you up).

If you can't ignore, then perhaps something like "That's OK. You join in when you're ready." might be an appropriate response.

Just another thought: how long has this been goinng on, and has his school been closed because of the weather? Connection?

My 6 yr olds behaviour has changed a lot recently...I'm putting it down to a surge of testosterone or something like that

Is he having problems in areas of his life-school, friendships etc? I would look into it more.

no, school hasnt been closed, so its not that. friendships, the usual playground things going on, friends one day, fall out the next. all other aspects of home etc are stable. i too wondered if it was testosterone.are other 6 yr olds like this? i am finding it hard to disipline him, as we have never really needed to before. today he was tussling with his brother over a toy, and he punched him (with PROPER PUNCH) in the mouth and cut open his lip. we put him in time out, then explained why this was not acceptable. then he was without his nintendo for the rest of the day. in school last week, he scratched someone on their face, drawing blood.its like he cant control his actions at the moment.

littlemiss, my 6 yr old punched his cousin in the face at New year and split his lip.

He has also hurt kids at school when he has been cross. Of course I have told him what I think of all this but its soo different from the passive (but v. occasionally stroppy) boy he once was.

cyb, i think we have the same boy! its when he gets cross he lashes out, but also his general mood is not as sunny as it once was. fine if all going his way, but if its not, he lets you know. before, i could talk him round, but now, i am "the worst mum in the world" how are u coping~?

Its tricky. He is very sensitive and will fly into rages at the drop of a hat.

Luckily he is about 2 stone wet through so can't inflict too much damage. He's my 3rd and is often teased by the older 2 which winds him up even more.

Being in Year 2, all the children are entering that 'Know all' phase and that makes him fly off the handle when he argues over 'who knows what'.

I am very firm with him if he does hit out, and have tried to get him to count to 10 or leave a situation that he thinks might make him angry. Its like having The Incredible Hulk living with us atm...'Don't make me angry..you wouldn't like me when I'm angry...'

Not that it helps but it is to do with their development. At around 6 they have behaviour changes.

I would not worry

There is a book called Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph. He says that they have a huge testosterone surge when they hit 6.

I have that to look forward to as my son is very nearly 6. Oh joy!

I've got that book. You'd think I would look at it every once in a while

It's true that boys change at about that age. I don't know whether it's testosterone, or peer-influences.

Ds1 was such a good, easy-going, obedient boy that we worried there was something wrong with him. He was better than textbook. It was quite a shock, when he began Y1, to learn that he had turned into a leader in mischief in his class - he once stole his teacher's shoes right off her feet!. He also started answering back, being grumpy, losing his temper...all the typical behaviours of childhood.

But even though he seemed to have undergone a personality transplant, when he wasn't being a monster he was the same sweet-natured, easygoing, rational child he had always been. (Sometimes for only a few minutes a day.) And, even when he was being at his most challenging - whether at home or at school - the teachers still considered him a pleasure to teach.

So I would still say don't worry to much about it. Talk to the teachers, see how he is at school - do they think there's been a change, and is it a problem?

Respect his feelings, and his need to express negative feelings, but don't fuss over them.