5yo extremely emotional

[Newperson4]

Ds1 has always been a sensitive child, shy and quiet and a total introvert. He was a lovely baby, very easy going, slept well and took to new things easily etc. We’ve always enjoyed his company and felt close as a family.

He started school last september, it was hard for him at first (kept saying he missed me etc) but soon as he made some good friends he was fine and up until a few weeks ago he was thriving.

A few weeks ago he started kicking off when it was time to go home from school - usually I let him play in the school playground for 10mins before we head home as all the kids run around etc but he would burst into tears, stick his lip out and act moody all the way home.

Now he’s moody ALL the time, any time we say no to anything or if something doesn’t go his way. For example, he cried (big bawling tears, threw himself down) this morning because he couldn’t decide whether to wear a fleece or a jumper to school because he didn’t know what his friend would be wearing. He’s like this with everything tho! I know he’s five, but…It seems excessive!? I can’t understand what can be making him so emotional. Its getting to the point where we are getting frustrated with him constantly crying about everything.

Just wondered if anyone had any advice or thoughts.

I have no advice, just solidarity. My 5yo DD is unbelievably difficult at the moment. I love her so deeply but she is very hard to like at the moment.

She sounds similar, highly sensitive, shy, and lacking confidence. Shes also clever and manipulative and stubborn as hell. This has all ramped up x1000 in the last few months.

She won't go anywhere, she clings to me the whole time. She cries and whines and stomps around and shrieks. She picks fights constantly with her older brother who is the most easy going child on the planet. She won't go to bed, get dressed or eat more than one bite of pasta without negotiation tactics rivaling the UN.

My DD is due to start school in August and I'm hoping and praying that school will sort her out and give her the challenges and confidence she needs. If not, I'm doomed.

One thing I have learned from my eldest though (7yo) is that everything, and I really mean everything, is a phase. When the phase has passed you barely remember it and you're just hard wired to remember fondly all the lovely bits.

I'm telling myself that constantly and just trying to get through each day showing her we love her, being patient, and trying to take joy from the snippets of cuteness that do occasionally show their face

Good luck 😏

Ah thank you for the reply, I think it must be a phase! Im just surprised because he’s always been a pretty easy going kid, nothing has ever been hugely challenging with him but this is very frustrating. I genuinely have wondered if there was something wrong medically to change him so drastically!

My 5 year old DS is exactly the same. He's honestly driving me crazy at the moment.

He's such a lovely boy when he's calm but at he turns everything into a massive drama.

He'll claim he doesn't know how to do basic things (that's he's been able to do for months / years) then scream, cry and sob about it. The most minor things set him off.

Every meal time is negotiation. How much do I have to eat Mummy? How many bites? Then tears because it's too much.

He's clingy when I take him out to do anything and quite often just refuses to participate in any activities or play with his friends if I am around.

If me or DH are not there to hide behind, he gets on with things relatively drama free and am always told how well behaved / polite he is.

We've started sending him to martial arts classes to help build resilience and confidence. It does seem to be helping (slowly) but it took weeks of him watching from the sidelines clinging to my cardigan for him to even give the classes a go.

I have no advice... but I feel you pain. I hope and pray it's all just a phase like the previous post said.

I have a 6yo and my only thought is that by this time in the year I wonder if they're all a bit knackered, which only heightens emotional volatility. Long evenings, early mornings, nearly the end of the academic year... He may well calm down a bit over the holidays. Like a PP says, it's all a phase (repeat through gritted teeth ad nauseam)

Both my DDs 6 and 8 are emotional at the moment. It always happens at this time of year, I think it is because school have started talking about moving up to the next year group. They don’t know who their teacher will be and for my DDs which children will be in their class as they are mixing them for next year, it’s unsettling for them.

Just a phase. He has big emotions - most humans do - but is only five so can't express them verbally.

Do you help him verbalise his feelings? There are lots of books about this.

Life is upsetting when you're five. You're powerless and spend a lot of time frustrated.

Have you spoken to the class teacher? It could be that going from school routine to home routine is stressful?
Also at this time of year I think they start to need the holidays.