My 4 year old son keeps saying "I think I hurt someone" .... What does this mean? Please read

[PearRiverFamily]

My four (going to be 5 in June) keeps saying "I think i hurt you" or....if we are with other people he will say "I think I hurt mike....or whoever we are with"....but these thoughts are completely irrational because he, of course, didn't hurt anyone. He has been having trouble in pre-school recently and we were told he is incredibly anxious all the time and sometimes doesn not do his work. Actually, I was the exact same way when i was a kid.....besides school.....and these weird "I think I hit/hurt someone" statements he is incredibly friendly.....get's along well with others......has a lot of friends....great appetite....sleeps well....has a ton of fun with his family when we are all together. I am not sure where this is coming from. He is very bright....we just had his kindergarden screening and were told his IQ is 140. He is extremely verbal as well...always has been.....we are hoping this is just another stage and he is saying anything and everything that is crossing his mind....he also says "I think I said a bad word" even though we know he didnt.....He is a great kid....but since he is our first we are not sure if these weird statements are just par for the course.

[4evermom]

I'm no expert but it does sound like an anxiety issue.  Maybe he wants to figure out what to do or what would happen if he hurt someone.  Maybe it would help to remind him that the other person will tell him if he hurt them and practice things he can do if the other child says that.

With the bad words, maybe he really wants to say some and feels guilty?  Maybe giving him a safe place to go say bad words would make him less worried about it?  Maybe he wants reassurance that you won't be mad if he slips up and says one?

You might want to check out the Gifted Subforum, too.  It is at the top of this section.  Anxiety seems relatively common in gifted kids...

[crunchy_mommy]

My first thought is that he's having obsessive thoughts (like in OCD)???

As someone who has both intrusive thoughts & high anxiety myself, I wish someone had kind of nipped it in the bud when I was a kid (maybe you can relate)... Since it sounds like he's dealing with general anxiety as well, maybe therapy would be helpful? Even just something short-term to teach him/you some healthy coping skills he can use so it doesn't become a worse situation...

[laohaire]

Is he extremely empathetic? Does he pick up on other people's feelings to an unusual degree?

Did something traumatic happen at any point in his life that he may be trying to process? Even something like a NICU stay, a circumcision, etc?