Any advice or ideas

[JCrakers]

I look after a little boy who is now 3.5yrs, he started with me when he was 6m old so he knows me very well and used to come 50hrs a week until last jan when i gave up fridays. He started nursery on Fridays and although he wasnt happy at first, the feedback i get from them is that hes settled in very well.

Hes always been a quiet little chap but can be boisterous at times, loves to play dragons etc. Hes always well behaved and ive never had any problems with him misbehaving etc. Hes always been sensitive and will cry very easily but recently its got worse. In the last few months he has been extra sensitive. Firstly i put it down to being tired but now its been going on for a few weeks. He doesnt have tantrums but completely melts into what can only be discribed as an emotional wreck. If someone says something to him, i'll find him in a puddle of tears and the tears literally just come and come as he sits quietly. Sometimes i dont know hes crying because hes so silent but will just find him absolutely soaking wet as tears just flow so fast.

Anyway in the past few weeks anything has made him cry from another mindee talking to him to being petfrified of the dark den, playing dragons which he used to love. One minute he was roaring loudly as others were screaming and hiding and the next thing he,s moved into another room because someone else has roared and i'll find him absolutely beside himself.

I told parents and they said hes sleeping well but some mornings he gets up a bit early, around 6am. Every day they ask how hes been and i truthfully tell them that weve had a lot of tears again. This morning i was on school run and Mum was late so she met me on the hill, mindee had leapfrog in backof car and he had it in his hand. I told Mum that he would have to leave it with her as i had single buggy and not a lot of space. I was on my way to school and then toddler group so couldnt take it with me. He was a little put out and wouldnt wave to her but after she had gone he sobbed for 50mins....then weve had 2 more lots.

Do you think it could be a surge of hormones maybe? Ive not come across this quite as bad as it is.

:-)

[kellib]

It could be, a friend of mine told me that boys get a rush of hormones/testosterone at ages 3, 7 and 10.

Not sure it's true but it certainly fits in with the ages my son has been at his most emotional (and the most aggressive too!)

[BallyH]

Do you have permission from the parents to share information with the Nursery? If yes, have you spoke to them? Or, I know it's your day off, but what about asking the nursery if you could go and 'observe' him on a friday to see if he is displaying the same symptons there. It may be he's been scared by something. Maybe in the play den. Plus he may also be just realising that some things are 'nasty' and he is finding it hard to come to terms with this. I had a child who's behaviour changed when they started preschool. I do have permission to share information and asked the preschool if I could come one afternoon, my afternoon off, to observe him. He wasn't being 'bullied' as I was convinced but had got in with a group of very boisterous boys (he was with girls here at that stage but boys now) and that really explained the behaviour. So I was very pleased to explain to dad what I had seen and we then worked together to reverse the behaviour change.

[Simona]

There are conflicting reports on the surge of Testosterone in children as you can see on the links below...hope it is of help


Why The Testosterone Surge in Young Boys is a Myth (and what really causes their behaviour to change!) | Sarah Ockwell-Smith

Evidence based parenting: The myth of the toddler testosterone surge

the PreSchool Directory - Advice and Help

[JCrakers]

Thanks for your replies. :-)

I thought about testosterone but usually in boys i tend to see a boisterous type of behaviour where anger can sometimes take over. Ive definitely seen it in older boys around 9-11yrs but this is more of an opposite type of loss of contol of emotions. Ive never come across a child who can cry like it over things that 3 months ago wouldnt have bothered him. I will literally find him sobbing uncontrolably and his tshirt is literally wet through with tears.


Working with kids is fascinating...they always keep us on our toes. He's the same today so i shall continue to monitor :-)

[JCrakers]

There are conflicting reports on the surge of Testosterone in children as you can see on the links below...hope it is of help


[urlttp://sarahockwell-smith.com/2014/06/09/why-the-huge-testosterone-surge-in-young-boys-is-a-myth-and-what-really-causes-their-behaviour-to-change/]Why The Testosterone Surge in Young Boys is a Myth (and what really causes their behaviour to change!) | Sarah Ockwell-Smith[/url]

Evidence based parenting: The myth of the toddler testosterone surge

the PreSchool Directory - Advice and Help

Thanks Simona, very informative reading.
I loved reading the first link! Boys are meant to be outdoors, running free with a frisbee, ball, in the mud and what do we do as a society....stick themin school and expect them to sit snd enjoy it.

[Simona]

Thanks Simona, very informative reading.
I loved reading the first link! Boys are meant to be outdoors, running free with a frisbee, ball, in the mud and what do we do as a society....stick themin school and expect them to sit snd enjoy it.

Ironic..is it not?

Judging by the discussions at London OBC yesterday the EY sector is voicing concerns over PD in children
I am sure that it will be reported when the OBC feedback is out.