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Your 4-year old may have crossed the phase of the “terrible twos” and have entered the period of “ferocious fours” but most likely, if your life feels challenging by the minute as each day goes by, rest assured that it’s nothing out of ordinary.
As your child grows older and nears the kindergarten age, he may start listening to you a little more. Here’s everything you need to know to be prepared and stay on track with respect to his physical and mental growth.
What are Behaviour Problems in 4-Year-Old?
4-year-olds behaviour issues range from (but are not limited to)-
- Not doing their homework.
- Not listening to parents/peers and unwilling to cooperate.
- Lying down in the middle of the road when not getting what they want.
- Causing distress to their peers and bullying other kids.
What is Considered Normal Behaviour?
Some common signs of normal behaviour in 4-year olds are:
- Interest in entertaining and pleasing companions.
- Sometimes being demanding and other times, a bit cooperative.
- Signs of increasing independence and individuality.
- Being able to differentiate between what’s imaginary and what’s reality.
What Should be The Normal Sexual Behaviour?
Normal sexual behaviour in four-year-olds typically looks like-
- Masturbating alone or in private
- Observing a sibling’s genitals
- Exploring his/her own genitals
If your child, however, causes distress to other children with persistent sexual behaviour, then that is a red flag and is a cause for concern.
7 Best Discipline Strategies for a 4-Year-Old
Discipline decides the character of a child, and you certainly want your child to grow up emotionally and mentally healthy. Here are 7 discipline strategies for dealing with 4-year-old behaviour problems not listening-
1. Prevent Behavioural Problems
The first step to preventing behavioural problems is staying calm and composed when your child misbehaves. Once his raging phase gets over, explain what he did wrong and why that was unacceptable. Create a model for positive and negative behaviours through actions and reinforce him to prevent behavioural problems down the line.
2. Create Rules
Creating ground rules sets the tone for every relationship, including one with your child. By creating rules, you define what’s acceptable and what’s unacceptable. Don’t make your house rules too restrictive keep it organic in nature. For example, going to bed on time will help him wake up early. Waking up a little early may translate to a bit of playtime before school and so on.
3. Praise Good Things
Did you spot your child do something good? Praise him – right now. Praising good things reinforces positive behaviours and shows him that he is on track. Whether your child is watching TV quietly without disturbing others or playing with his peers without fighting or fussing, then those actions warrant praises.
4. Ignore Minor Misbehaviour
Sometimes your child may not intend to do something but does it anyway out of an impulse which he has no control over. In such a case, if the misbehaviour is minor, it’s best to forget about it and move on.
5. Motivate & Reward
A ‘motivate and reward system’ is pivotal to the success and growth of a child. Motivate your child with rewards for behaving well and performing good in school. Rewards such as a little extra TV time for doing their homework or a new toy for the summer for getting good grades are just as effective. Keep materialistic rewards to a minimum and add emotional rewards for the best benefits since you don’t want your child to be too obsessed with them. Stickers and badges at home are excellent ways to create a reward system. Create a mix of mini-rewards and big rewards, thus creating a level-up system for your kids to keep things entertaining and observe their behaviours and learning patterns.
6. Use Time-Out System
Time-outs are pretty effective in dealing with stubborn children. Keep in mind to remove yourself from the picture during a timeout and give your child some self-reflection time. After the timeout, explain in a kind and gentle way what aspect of the behaviour was unacceptable and you’ll be good to go. At first, your child may cause tantrums during a timeout, but that’s just his way of testing the boundaries and there is nothing to worry about.
7. Remove Privileges
Is your child misbehaving too much? Remove his privileges one step at a time. When your child will realise what he has just lost, he will mend his behaviour accordingly. At first, he may throw outbursts but maintain your ground, be calm and firm, and you’ll notice him slowly changing his pattern of negative behaviour for the better.
When to Consult a Paediatrician for Child’s Behaviour?
You should consult a paediatrician for your child’s behaviour if-
- If you notice any signs of developmental delays and cognitive disorders.
- If your 4-year-old’s behaviour is getting worse despite using the above disciplining strategies over an extended period of time.
- If your child stays alone or isolates himself from you and his peers.
- If your child shows a general lack of interest towards everything in his life.
Dealing with a child is a herculean task. Every kid is different and with every new personality comes a new set of challenges. If you feel that things are getting out of control, hopefully, this article will shed some light on the subject and give you a new perspective. Always follow-up with a paediatrician or a therapist if you’re having a tough time changing certain behavioural patterns of your child. Remember, it takes time, patience, and a lot of positive reinforcement to change toxic behaviours for the better, so be gentle and consistent if you want positive results in the long-run.
