5yo DS suddenly very quick to tears and anger

[Notquitemanaging]

DS normally very chilled out easy going boy - happy at school, nice mates etc. We went on holiday last week and he definitely got over tired but have been back nearly a week and he’s still out of sorts to the point I wonder if something is going on. Today he has cried over losing a small bit of a man ice lolly that melted and fell off, misplacing his tennis racquet for about five minutes, not being able to find the duck piece in kid monopoly… I can’t remember the last time he cried at all before this week and now it’s a few times a day. He’s also quick to anger in a way I’ve never seen in him before eg “you didn’t pick up my lolly for me!” In real apparent rage about the betrayal…. Is this just pretty standard kid out of routine and over tired do you think? Ive tried comforting him but he becomes inconsolable so the best thing is just to distract… has anyone else’s kid been like this maybe now they’ve lost the school routine and are just able to express the exhaustion of the year or something? Looking like it could be a long summer….

*an ice lolly not man ice lolly 😂

We've had times like that. I think kids have been through more than we give them credit for and though the holidays are great, it's another disruption to their routine. DD was crying at everything today - soon realised it was because she was missing our holiday. Lots of cuddles and reassurance and a trip out made up for it. She too is overtired.

We went through similar with our normally very easy going, placid son. I read somewhere that they can have a bit of a surge in testosterone at around that age and I have to say, it made sense. His behaviour was definitely ‘hormonal’ in character, it reminded me a bit of when I have PMT! Slightly out of control, crying at things that don’t make sense, angry at times. And before our eyes he turned from our chubby little boy into a kid with a real male physique, hairy legs and he grew about 2 inches. So I’m convinced it was down to hormones. He is through it now and is just a stroppy and precocious 7 year old who eats my cupboards bare!

Ah that’s reassuring and I think you’re right, he has been through a lot more than we sometimes think about with all the disruptions to the school year and general unpredictability. Almost had bullying or something at the back of my mind but made so sense when he was fine at school and then since seeing no kids having a real wobble… trying to keep up a structure and sort play dates and stuff but do think he really is just extremely knackered and a bit thrown by the change in routine.