GalaxyAngel
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The Terrible Fours
Here's what's going on with those pushy little people who always seem to say exactly what's on their minds.
Becky Maranto once found out how unpredictable life can be with a 4-year-old. As she cruised the grocer's liquor section, her daughter, Danielle, raised her voice, loudly informing Maranto and other customers that she thought Maranto drank entirely too many "alcoholic drinks."
Maranto quickly shushed her 4-year-old. But her cheeks burned the rest of her shopping trip.
"It's amazing what she sometimes says," says Maranto. "I don't know where she got that one from. I maybe drink alcohol once a month, at the most. And here she is acting like I'm some sort of heavy drinker."
Maranto isn't the only parent who's amazed at the comments that fly from the mouths of 4-year-olds. Children this age are gaining new verbal skills, and they're not shy about expressing their opinions.
Although it doesn't have the same reputation as the "terrible 2s," the fourth year of a child's life presents its own challenges and rewards. Children this age are more independent, preferring to dress and feed themselves, and clean up their own messes. They're choosing their friendships with more care, and they're starting to act like proverbial "little boys" or "little girls." At the same time, they're eager to push their boundaries, trying to find out exactly what they can and cannot get away with.
With all these changes, the fourth year can present challenges to even the most knowledgeable parents. By anticipating changes their children will face, parents can help make this time a joy rather than a battle.
"It really can be a fun age in general," says Barbara Kay Polland, a child- development professor at California State University, USA. "Children know so much more at 4 than they do at 2 or 3. They become very excited and in awe at the world around them. A trip to the zoo or looking at the full moon, these things are very exciting for a 4-year-old. This makes it a very delicious age."
Diana Thompson, mother, agrees. Her 4-year-old son, Christian, began to climb trees by himself, make friends at his preschool and clean his own room.
"He's a lot more mature," Thompson says. "He's his own little person. He's independent and not so clingy anymore. He likes to feel like a big boy now."
So what else should parents of 4-year-olds expect from their sons and daughters? Here are some hints:
Independence
Parents who try to help a 4-year-old tie his shoes will probably hear something like: "I can do it myself!"
As they reach age 4, kids are more independent than ever. As they learn to dress themselves, put away their dirty dishes and even perform simple household chores, 4-year-olds develop a taste for doing things without help from others. Parents should recognize this and give their children plenty of tasks to do that they can perform on their own.
"They don't need your help as much as they once did," Kittybelle Hosford, an education professor at Hood College in Frederick, Md, USA.
To deal with this newfound sense of independence, make a list of items that are negotiable and those that are not, Hosford says. For instance, 4-year-olds may have some negotiating power when choosing a vegetable side dish for dinner. But whether to wear a seat belt when in the car goes on the non-negotiable list.
"This independence can sometimes be a rude awakening to parents," Hosford says. "Children go from the terrible 2s to fairly compliant 3-year-olds. Then, when they hit 4, you begin to see some of that resistance coming back."
Choosing friends
When children are 2 or 3, they don't form long-lasting friendships. But this changes when they hit 4, when most children begin to be more selective in choosing who their friends are and aren't. These friendships may not necessarily be with the neighbour kid, but rather with the girl who lives three blocks away.
"At 2 and 3, children's friendships are very transient. It tends to be sort of 'Love the one you're with,' " says Terry Winegar, a psychology professor at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Penn, USA. "By 4, they carry friendships with them a little longer."
Parents can encourage their children to form new friendships by joining playgroups or enrolling their youngsters in park-district programs. They should also set up play dates, where children take turns playing at each other's homes.
Different ways of playing
The play style of 4-year-olds is more imaginative than ever. Girls may pretend they're running a school or going off to the office. Boys become interested in super heroes.
Parents can encourage fantasy play. They can create a fantasy hairdresser's studio for girls interested in combing their dolls' hair, or build an outdoor obstacle course for boys to navigate as they pretend to be Batman chasing down the Riddler.
© 2004 Content That Works
The Terrible Fours *click me*
*interesting* Isn't simlair likely my kid but espically My eldest son when he was young 4 yrs old oh definetialy but only A.D.D. that naturally kid!
Here's what's going on with those pushy little people who always seem to say exactly what's on their minds.
Becky Maranto once found out how unpredictable life can be with a 4-year-old. As she cruised the grocer's liquor section, her daughter, Danielle, raised her voice, loudly informing Maranto and other customers that she thought Maranto drank entirely too many "alcoholic drinks."
Maranto quickly shushed her 4-year-old. But her cheeks burned the rest of her shopping trip.
"It's amazing what she sometimes says," says Maranto. "I don't know where she got that one from. I maybe drink alcohol once a month, at the most. And here she is acting like I'm some sort of heavy drinker."
Maranto isn't the only parent who's amazed at the comments that fly from the mouths of 4-year-olds. Children this age are gaining new verbal skills, and they're not shy about expressing their opinions.
Although it doesn't have the same reputation as the "terrible 2s," the fourth year of a child's life presents its own challenges and rewards. Children this age are more independent, preferring to dress and feed themselves, and clean up their own messes. They're choosing their friendships with more care, and they're starting to act like proverbial "little boys" or "little girls." At the same time, they're eager to push their boundaries, trying to find out exactly what they can and cannot get away with.
With all these changes, the fourth year can present challenges to even the most knowledgeable parents. By anticipating changes their children will face, parents can help make this time a joy rather than a battle.
"It really can be a fun age in general," says Barbara Kay Polland, a child- development professor at California State University, USA. "Children know so much more at 4 than they do at 2 or 3. They become very excited and in awe at the world around them. A trip to the zoo or looking at the full moon, these things are very exciting for a 4-year-old. This makes it a very delicious age."
Diana Thompson, mother, agrees. Her 4-year-old son, Christian, began to climb trees by himself, make friends at his preschool and clean his own room.
"He's a lot more mature," Thompson says. "He's his own little person. He's independent and not so clingy anymore. He likes to feel like a big boy now."
So what else should parents of 4-year-olds expect from their sons and daughters? Here are some hints:
Independence
Parents who try to help a 4-year-old tie his shoes will probably hear something like: "I can do it myself!"
As they reach age 4, kids are more independent than ever. As they learn to dress themselves, put away their dirty dishes and even perform simple household chores, 4-year-olds develop a taste for doing things without help from others. Parents should recognize this and give their children plenty of tasks to do that they can perform on their own.
"They don't need your help as much as they once did," Kittybelle Hosford, an education professor at Hood College in Frederick, Md, USA.
To deal with this newfound sense of independence, make a list of items that are negotiable and those that are not, Hosford says. For instance, 4-year-olds may have some negotiating power when choosing a vegetable side dish for dinner. But whether to wear a seat belt when in the car goes on the non-negotiable list.
"This independence can sometimes be a rude awakening to parents," Hosford says. "Children go from the terrible 2s to fairly compliant 3-year-olds. Then, when they hit 4, you begin to see some of that resistance coming back."
Choosing friends
When children are 2 or 3, they don't form long-lasting friendships. But this changes when they hit 4, when most children begin to be more selective in choosing who their friends are and aren't. These friendships may not necessarily be with the neighbour kid, but rather with the girl who lives three blocks away.
"At 2 and 3, children's friendships are very transient. It tends to be sort of 'Love the one you're with,' " says Terry Winegar, a psychology professor at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Penn, USA. "By 4, they carry friendships with them a little longer."
Parents can encourage their children to form new friendships by joining playgroups or enrolling their youngsters in park-district programs. They should also set up play dates, where children take turns playing at each other's homes.
Different ways of playing
The play style of 4-year-olds is more imaginative than ever. Girls may pretend they're running a school or going off to the office. Boys become interested in super heroes.
Parents can encourage fantasy play. They can create a fantasy hairdresser's studio for girls interested in combing their dolls' hair, or build an outdoor obstacle course for boys to navigate as they pretend to be Batman chasing down the Riddler.
© 2004 Content That Works
The Terrible Fours *click me*
*interesting* Isn't simlair likely my kid but espically My eldest son when he was young 4 yrs old oh definetialy but only A.D.D. that naturally kid!
I used to babysit a few children between ages 2 and 4 and I really loved them all to death. Sure, they were quite a challenge at those ages, still I had heaps of fun learning from them and teaching them new things, etc. 
