4 yo DD is upset all the time

[greenmansions]

Hoping someone can help me figure out what is going on with my DD. She just turned 4 and for the past several weeks is extremely sensitive, quick to anger, quick to tantrum, and does not want to go to sleep in her bed, comes into our bed at night (not that that is bad, but it is atypical). Yesterday she had 3 tantrums before noon! Today she had several over the course of the day. DH and I are starting to get snippy with her, we are so tired of all the screaming, crying and demands. We need to figure out what is up.

What might be going on with her? Is this a typical behavior at this age? My DS was nowhere near as difficult at 4.

[Bug-a-Boo's Mama]

Sorry to say it sounds normal. DS turned four the beginning of December. Okay for a bit and then boy, attitude change. They are learning they really have a voice and can be disagreeable. He'll just have crying fits, I have discovered that they just need to run its course and then he will be fine. Also at times have major problems after stopping an activity. Bedtime drama. Ugh.

About a month or a bit longer before he turned four he started needing to be right beside me while out. He would not let me be more than a couple of feet away from him. That lasted until very recently.

I'm planning on starting a chart to hopefully stop some of the none necessary drama-like bedtime.

[greenmansions]

Oh man. If this is what it's going to be like for a good long stretch, DH and I need to figure out how we are going to cope.

I did get her to bed earlier last night and so far today (she's only been up about 3 hours) there have been no tantrums. I wonder if perhaps she is needing more sleep.

[philomom]

Hate to tell you but my kids always act up a month before and after birthdays. It's like they are "growing" too fast or too much for their little selves to handle it.

[Lolafanana]

I could have written your post. My dd jut turned 4 two weeks ago and honestly, we have had a really rough couple weeks. She has turned into this very demanding, bossy and irrational 15 year old almost overnight. She seriously woke up on her birthday and was a different person. sHE freaks out if the slightest thing goes wrong and is a tyrant to her younger brother. It's been difficult to say the least. Whats funny is she also has started sleeping in our bed again after months of being in her own. She doesn't want to go to school anymore either. So, even though she seems to be much more aggressive at home, she doesn't want to go out!

For the past few days, she has been sleeping more lately and the tantrums have lessened so we'll see. But I feel your pain. 4 is proving to be the most difficult age for us so far. I hope that once she figures out what 4 feels like, she'll go back to her normal self.

Diana

[LuxPerpetua]

We're facing this same issue with our just turned 4 yo (late December b-day). She was fine until mid-January and she just woke up one day in a bad mood and is still in it. She'll have times when she's fine and then times when she is just downright cranky and contrary. She's also gotten extra sensitive and will cry over the most trivial things (not like tantrum cry but like emotional crying). At the same time, she's going through a lot of changes I can tell--like with fine motor skills, for one thing. I can deal with the emotional crying but I'm having a hard time with the negativity and just bossiness. She's even put me into tears several times in the last month--which has been a rare thing before. I have oodles of empathy for you. At least I know it's normal--I was actually just about to ask on this forum.

[greenmansions]

Well mamas, I'm glad to read that this is normal 4 yo behavior. At the same time, let me pass y'all a margarita to help us all get through it.