4 yo asking for help with everything!

[Coffeeandcake1]

My 4 yo DS (only child) is very able and can be pretty independent when he wants. During lockdown he has had either my or my husband's attention as we are both wfh but in shifts to deal with childcare, but now he will do nothing on his own and its driving me crazy!
I love having time to play with him and encouraging him with the activities his nursery have provided but now he constantly asks for help or for us to play with him when he doesn't need it or spends a lot of time and effort trying to argue why he will not do something eg playing with his duplo or getting dressed (I get his clothes out and he used to dress himself).
He used to take himself to the toilet and now he asks for help before he goes every time. What can I do to help stop his focus being to get our attention? I am starting to worry about him doing things independently when he starts school in Sept.

He is feeling lonely and insecure he isn't with his friends his days are different and he is needing reassurance, I understand having him mummummummy will be frustrating but you might need to put up with it until heis back to "normal"

With dressing can you make race/game with him .

My 4 year old is similar - think it is the lack of routine and missing preschool. On getting dressed by himself, I have been using a combination of reverse psychology (so putting his clothes out and then acting all surprised when he appears dressed/asking if he had some help etc) and racing. And on playing by himself I use timers if I need 10 minutes to do something - I normally use Alexa to set a timer as he seems to take this much better, and then just repeat that I’m busy washing up or whatever until the timer goes. Have heard other people rate different egg timers as a more visual way of saying when time is up too.

Yes he seems to have got bored of the racing to get dressed! It used to be a great motivation for him but he just doesn't do it now.
The timer is a good idea, I will try that if I need to get something done. Im worried that we have spent so much time making sure he is not stuck in front of a screen and not ignored that we're making it worse but not sure what else to do!

Timers are good I had egg timers for one of mine she was such a faffer and needed the motivation to concentrate on, you could also try helping mum/dad to do things you want him to do iyswim, try and not stress too much it really is a weird time for us all and I don't buy into this "new normal " none of this is normal and little children don't understand or how to react.