Guess I'm Just Impossible to Please?

[Josiegirl]

I figured this week would be a piece of cake; I just have my easy 13 mo and my pretty good 4 yo. But without the other 2 dcgs here, I now notice how often my name is called. Whether it's right beside me or from 2 rooms away. Or how many times I'm asked to watch throughout the day.
So I take a chunk of time to sit at the table and play Lincoln Logs with the 4 yo, and he plays for maybe 3 minutes of catapulting his pieces into the air, then goes onto something else.
I can't seem to get him to concentrate on any 1 activity for more than a few minutes. The 13 mo and I rolled balls down a tube for half an hour yesterday. He has more concentration than the 4 yo. Is this normal development?

[Cat Herder]

4 year olds are the toughest, IMHO. :hug:

It is the dawning of manipulation for manipulations sake.

It is also the age of irrational fear, nightmares and phobias while the imagination seems to be stronger than logic.

They do need more reassurance and redirection than the 3 year olds most days. They are more likely to be overtired from the monster under the bed , in the closet or at the window, too. And the stories they can tell. ::::::

[Annalee]

4 year olds are the toughest, IMHO. :hug:

It is the dawning of manipulation for manipulations sake.

It is also the age of irrational fear, nightmares and phobias while the imagination seems to be stronger than logic.

They do need more reassurance and redirection than the 3 year olds most days. They are more likely to be overtired from the monster under the bed , in the closet or at the window, too. And the stories they can tell. ::::::

I agree! I have four that will only miss the kindy cutoff by weeks so this next preschool year will be challenging for me....they aren't fully mature enough for school but feel they are too big to be here and all the things you posted is spot on.