Australian Parents Magazine

[kylie]

Hi my son is 4.5yrs and has been going to pre school for about a month now. He started off well but now the teacher keeps telling me that he is always screaming and yelling in the other kids faces. He goes three days a week and at least once or possibly more during his days there he does this, he has also done it a few times to the teachers. He does at home and when we are out but i didn't think he would be like this at pre school. The teachers have sometimes noticed him playing alone because the other kids don't want to be near him but he doesn't seem worried.What can i do? I am seriously thinking about pulling him out, although my husband will disagree, but i don't to be "the mother of that child". He was susposed to be going to a birthday party tomorrow but i said no. what should i do? has anyone been through similar and if so what did you do?
TIA

[emmicoa]

Firstly, I wouldn't pull him out. How is he going to learn to interact appropriately if he isn't in the situations to learn?

How do you deal with this behaviour when he does it at home? Talk to the teachers, and decide how this behaviour is going to be dealt with. Its important that he has consistency, the same consequences at school and at home. He also needs to learn what to do instead. Maybe you could try "I don't like it when you yell in my face. Stand back and use your nice voice to tell me what you want" or something similar. Really its just that he is only 4 and doesn't understand that its uncomfortable for people when he does it! It sounds like he might be getting frustrated. Learning to share with so many kids is a big thing! Hang in there, I'm sure with you & the teachers working together you can get this resolved

The playing alone, I don't think is a big deal. I have spent a fair bit of time in kindy/pp classrooms and there are generally a few children playing alone. They are mastering new skills and often like be independent and do it themselves than have to share with others in a group As the year goes on, he will get more confident and interact more with the other kids