5 year old attention seeking behaviour driving me crazy!

[Ellemeg82]

Send help!
My 5 year old boy (6 in December) attention seeking silly behaviour is pushing me to the limit at the moment.
Not helped by it currently being school holidays of course (he'll be going into Yr1 in September).

Generally he's a good kid. A smart kid too. But over the last 6 months or so there is this silly attention seeking behaviour going on that is causing issues.
He is an only child and gets lots of attention. I'm a SAHM so am with him the whole holidays.

But it's the shouting, silly fart noises, talking about bums, farts, picking noses and general other crude behaviour. Not listening, throwing big strops when he's told no (in a shop for example) and causing a big scene.
Saying things like "you never buy me anything" or "you never take me anywhere" when for example we've just been on a day out to Thorpe Park!

I get that a lot of it is to provoke reaction from me and I try and ignore (to a point) the crude behaviour but the general idiotic behaviour is getting me down.
Is this just what 5 year old boys are like? Laughing about crude things and trying to provoke reactions. Maybe he's just being a kid but honestly no matter how much I tell him no or to stop he just won't.
How can I get a 5 year old to listen?

Boys are a bit boisterous, not all of them but a fair many, 5 is a bit young but it depends who he learnt it from. Shops, tell him before you go in, if he is good all the way round, doesn't ask for anything then at the end of your shopping he can choose toy/sweet ect. During the shopping, remind him by saying "you're doing this really well, being polite, helpful, you could get him to help out shopping in the trolley. Once you've had three good shopping trips, bring the same rule at home, (only for short periods, he's too young to have patience for longer) ask him to play quietly for 10 minutes, if you need to use a clock it's easier for him, you can mark it with a wipe able pen so he can see when times up, and reward it with whatever you think. Boys get distracted so struggle with longer periods of instruction but they catch on when rewards are involved lol.

For me, with a child who has no neurodiversity, I would be pretty firm about the way he speaks to you. He may be missing boundaries and routine in holiday time perhaps, but if it's been going on for six months it's a wider issue. Not all kids are like this and if you don't like it you don't have to put up with it. Children will push boundaries and they will do what is tolerated so if you don't want him to behave in a certain way be very clear.

Firstly I'd make sure he's getting enough exercise. All children need running around but often boisterousness is a sign they could do with more. Also it gives them a break from more adult activities they may struggle with. Secondly, as he's an only child make sure he has playtime with other five year olds where he can have a giggle about farts etc with them if they like! Some park meet-ups perhaps, but then make it clear that this sort of talk isn't ok with you. Does he get a chance to blow off steam away from you at all? Make sure he can have "silly sessions" as he's only five!

He's old enough to understand consequences so (for example) bad behaviour in a shop should have a consequence, but ideally a natural one. My most successful was when for example we left the shop because of misbehaviour and it meant a very dull supper and no snacks or treats in the house as I had not been able to buy things. But I've also cancelled or postponed days out until I can trust good behaviour.

Another point is has he got any contact with older children? Cousins etc... You may be surprised when he does go to school how he'll model himself on older children when he sees them behaving more sensibly.