I’m so lost - 4yr old anger issues
Hi parents. I’m coming to you with tears in my eyes and feeling lost.
My 4 year old has been a dream all his life. Super easy/happy baby, never threw a tantrum as a toddler, and been an all around GREAT kid.
He’s 4.5 now and the past month or two we’re seeing WILD outbursts of anger over small things that we’ve never experienced before. Ever.
It’s happening with anything and everything, but here are a few examples:
-had to pick him up at preschool for his gym class during a movie (he LOVES gym) and he screamed and kicked and cried while his teacher carried him out of class.
-constantly rudely says things to me and his dad
-stomps and crushes things
-throws/slams toys
-slams doors
-pinches/pulls other kids down to the floor
-screams when screen time is up
-hitting our hands/arms (but never face/head)
He is also being generally disruptive (constantly yelling random things in class), rolling around on the floor. This is the child that came home with glowing reports for years before.
We are a very peaceful/calm household. We ease into transitions. We never raise our voices. We speak very matter of fact. There are consequences for his actions. We have never shown aggression/only love. We talk everything out.
We’re in utter shock recently and the final straw that broke me was that his school called us in for a conference next week and they’ve already chatted with us about his anger issues recently. I’m worried they’re going to ask us to pull him.
I have a background in early childhood education (I’m no expert, but I have experience) and have dealt with children for 15 years. Almost every child I’ve worked with, the usual tactics have worked, but he is not responding and I don’t even recognize my child. Which is devastating.
Do I reach out to a child psychologist to try to nip this in the bud in the first few months? My anxiety is through the roof and I can’t sustain this long term. And my goodness, I know he isn’t having a good time either 😭
What would you do?