Does this sound 'normal' 4 year old behaviour to you?

[Ilovemalteaserbunnies]

Hi, wondering if people with more knowledge than me can advise. Our 4.5 year old is very challenging and I just don't know if it's something to do with how we parent/ his personality or something else! It is getting me so down as I feel like every day is a struggle.
Examples of behaviours:

• often hits / scratches me and my husband when we try to brush his teeth
• will often run away when it's time to go somewhere eg leave for school
• often spends ages shouting from the bathroom trying to persuade me to wipe his bottom, refusing to do it himself
• increasingly fussy with food to the point we have major meltdowns and hysterics if we try to cook anything he doesn't want to try
• climbing into front of car/ beeping horn / refusing to get out when we get to school

-constantly putting his hands in his mouth This doesn't sound as bad when I write it down but I find myself dreading everything at the moment as everything is just so hard work! Is this normal for a 4 year old?!

I would say if you have any developmental or behavioural concerns do visit your GP. Children are hard work but you shouldn't dread the day.
I've been there dreading the day (and still sometimes now when DS is having a rough patch) and it's not nice at all.
Do you have other children? (I simply ask because my DS was/is a third child and therefore I could loosly compare his development and behaviour to his siblings.)

Xx

Thanks pandyandy! I definitely identify with the rough patches- we had an awful one recently. In those patches I'm absolutely convinced there's something 'wrong' but then we can have a nicer week and I think I'm over dramatising it. We do have another but younger so can't really compare unfortunately.
I'm trying to think of examples to show what I mean - this past week I needed to get him gloves and thought a trip into the camping shop to choose some would be fine. We were in town anyway and it should've been a few minutes. He stood in middle of the shop shouting , refusing to move and I ended up having to deliver him to my husband outside as there was no way I could've paid with him there.
Another day of half term we had a nice day out planned but he wouldn't get dressed . Screaming , lying on ground etc so we had to not go as it was too late.
We went to a castle (his day to choose) and the other children his age were listening - he started hitting a pane of glass then hitting me for no obvious reason whatsoever and I had to leave with him in the middle of a kids event thing (that he wanted to go to!).
With teeth cleaning , he'll hit my face , climb in the bath, throw bottles, scream... as you can imagine bed time and getting ready for school is great fun.
I just don't know whether this is all behavioural (are all 4 year olds like this?! ) or whether I should be asking for help from HV or GP. Sorry for huge reply !!

Does he go to nursery? How is he there? Difficult to tell from what you've said as some kids just are more challenging than others. Do you think any of his responses are due to sensory problems (such as the teeth cleaning or reactions in crowded places, textures of foods he hates?) how is his communication?

He has significant sensory issues and needs an Occupational Therapy input.
I dont want to scare you but I work with children with this and can see it.
You need to tell your GP he and get him assessed for ASD as they often are co- occurring.
The earlier your son and your family get specials input the better.
In the meantime try googling Sensory processing disorder

specialist