little boy told me he feels sad :(

[StealthPolarBear]

He's 2y8m. for the last few days he's seemed a bit subdued. this morning he said "i not happy" and then a bit later "i sad". not sure if he is or is just saying it but am so worried something's not right

ask him

dd (2.6) does this occasionally and I always say 'Oh are you, what made you feel sad?' Sometimes she says 'Oh I not sad, I happy now!' all big grins, but occasionally I get (eg) 'Scarface Claw bite Jonathan' or similar imagining, and I run the script of how Scarface Claw is only in a book and how he wouldn't really bite Jonathan anyway because he is just a bit noisy and a bit cheeky etc etc

This one has run and run, esp when she is dropping off to sleep, have stopped DH making scary noises when reading Hairy McLary but have yet to see an effect.

Did you ask him why, Stealth?

I do remember at that age my DCs liked to 'act' emotions. Particularly remember DD1, standing in front of the mirror sobbing, when I, with my heart in my mouth asked what was wrong, she said smiling through the tears, "just seeing sad".

i have tried but he doesn't really have enough skills to explain it. The only thing i can think of is we've been reading Giraffes can't dance recently and we do impressions of Gerald's sad face and happy face, and talk about why he's sad and happy. But he hasn't seemed happy these last few days, and today I took him to nursery, which upset him. He gets told off lots, and barely eats or sleeps, life just seems to be a constant battle and I think that's affecting him.
Anyway, I bought a pomegranete to see if that cheers him up -what on earth do I do with it!!

Mine is 2 and 7mths. He sys almost every day he is sad. He is not. He is just using this new word.

If you tell him off he is sad, if you say no to a biscuit he is sad.

His latest one is "Not well Mummy". Tis rubbish. He told me that then asked for his lunch

Don't worry

They just experiment with emotions at this age.

hmm that sounds hopeful, makes me think he is just talking about new things.
Yes, I get "I sick mummy" followed 10 seconds later by "I want chocolate button please"

They all do it Stealth.

Soon he will be saying it LOUDLY in the Town center and you will be inwardly seething as everyone stares

oh yes, had forgotten 'Mummy I a bit poorly' - usually with quivering underlip in the middle of Costa

they are just trying them on for size, like dressing up as a builder / doctor, sometign other.

Then, when a bit older 'I'm dying' together with dramatic actions....

oh no, thanks for the warning, he's my pfb!!

Oh yes the "I'm dead" with dramatic falling over.

Or

As you gently hold their hand to cross the road the "Owwwwww you are HURTING me Mummy".

Oh yes,those cries of "mummy, you're HURTING my arm" in the middle of crowded supermarket / car park etc where I am cruelly refusing to allow my toddler to run in front of cars.
Mine also announces she has tummy ache, mostly because she really likes calpol
She is 2y 7months and also worries about things we've read in books then needs reassurance - this morning said to me "Mummy, the big bad wolf won't come in our house will he?"

Oh yes, the shame, 'Calpol' being in his early vocabulary .

And yes, the screaming that you're hurting their hand, when you've actually just stopped them falling flat on their face in the middle of the road....

We get the screaming from DS1 when we try to hold his hand. Thankfully he's stopped yelling 'HELP!' at the top of his lungs when we're out (I was convinced someone would think I was kidnapping him!) I do the chocolate button test when one of mine appears hurt/upset/poorly - if that cheers them up, it's probably nothing to worry about

Ah bless him.

DD does this sometimes, that or 'I'm really poorly' with a dramatic swipe of her forehead.

The other day she told a woman on a packed tube' I'm disgusting and have spiders in my hair- mummys very angry'

Yes - nits.

Aw bless him. Ds is very often "poorly" at the moment. He also has a poorly leg. Today we went out (disaster, don't know why I bothered) and he started shouting "No! No! Not have fun!". He does "sad" sometimes but I don't think he really gets it yet although he will bounce around going "I happy".

You are probably right with the constant battle affecting him. Been there (a lot) with ds. I find it so hard to drag myself up and stop it. Generally though a few days of reminding myself to be a saint helps. Just keep reminding myself not to make a battle out of meals, to deal with his tantrums properly instead of snapping, be consistent with pulling him up for hitting etc instead of giving up and burying my head in the sand. It just gets so bloody wearing doing it all the time! This flipping weather doens't help though, we are going loopy.

ps shall prob only have dd tom so less mucking about with carseats! If it is on of course.

yes you're right, maybe when he's playing up i'll pretend he's someone else's - i'll have a lot more patience that way

hope ds's leg is better soon

have you had the call yet? i said i would make it but roads were a nightmare this morning!

ahh just re-read that and it sounds horrible, what i meant was if he was someone else's child I'd have more patience, not snap etc...
gone to nursery for the first time in ages and i miss him

Man up Stealth. Put your feet up and read Heat

thanks! I actually got some housework done - we have clean floors again!

I also talked to him after nursery and he told me "I not sad any more" so that's good - we'll see how it lasts. He certainly wasn't sad when he was eating fruit pastilles and smearing his sticky hands over the inside of my car