DS 4.5yrs can be very grumpy and I really feel I can't understand it or find a way to cheer him up.
He's always had a kinda negative disposition, learned to say "no" months & months before he said ever said "yes" and used to bite any toddlers who encroached in his space.
Sometimes he wakes up in, or somehow gets into a bad mood and seems to get stuck like that all day. I tried obvious things like taking about his feelings, distracting him, trying to cheer him up, suggesting he goes to his bed/bedroom "for some peace" until he's able to be more kind...I try to be accepting of his feelings but when he's rude and grumpy to everything I say and mean to his little brother I find his behaviour unacceptable.
If he's sad/disappointed he strongly denies he's sad and gets really cross and starts thumping me and shouting.
I feel like understanding this better is slipping through my fingers & wonder if there's a diagnosis or something in his diet or sleep pattern or something that causes this. I also just can't find the right way to deal with it.