It has been a couple of months since I have posted anything on my blog, and for that I apologize readers. I have been quite the busy guy dealing with the publication of my book, un-desireable issues at work, and raising a four year old...
My Son turned Four this past August and I figured well, the threatening threes are over with so now I can start to enjoy Thane being a four year old. WRONG!!! I think Four is just as bad as three, if not worse. "Terrible Two's" were a breeze and the "Threatening Three's" were only a taste of what was to come at age four.
His birthday party went off without a hitch and he had fun; opening his stack of gifts from partygoers and from his parents and family, playing with the partygoers, and just loving that it was his birthday. (Holidays and such are starting to make sense in his mind now, like he understands what it means to get presents and open them. You know how it goes)
The very next day it happened, Four sunk into his head and he developed more of an opinion. It doesn't help that he is stubborn but I've been dealing with the backtalk, and the "No's!". He's too damn opinionated. It seems like he is frustrated and just does not want to listen and maybe that is just the way of the four year old???
I am proud because he is slowly starting to try new foods, but it seems to be at his discression. He's a very picky eater and I've come to find that on a frequent occasion he'll try a bite of something that he's always been told that taste's really yummy. Slowly but surely, his appetite for good tasting food is coming ahead. But if he doesn't want it you can't even force a bite in his mouth if you tried.
I have taken a no bullshit approach to try and get him to listen. I follow through; if he continues to disobey I tell him that I am taking one of his favorite, most prized possesions away...the next time he doesn't listen I take it, whatever it may be at the time, and I put it up in the closet and ultimately is forgotten about and then at a later point in life I bring it back to him and its like christmas to him all over again. Sometimes it works but then again...well, you know, it just doesn't.
He is due to be going into a schooling program soon and actually when he sees a school bus drive by, he gets really excited; jumps up and down, claps his hands, and shreiks in excitement, you know how kids are. He tells us that he wants to ride in the school bus and wants to go to school to learn and play with kids, and we are ready. :) Kids need that.
He's a sweet kid a lot of the time, and I enjoy Fatherhood but the age of four is wearing on me. The phase is very stressful for me but at the end of the day it's worth it (most of the time) He is very smart, clever, and so I think he uses that as a tool against Mommy and Daddy. We are not fools though! I can't help but think a lot of the time, a four year old is running my life but I put my foot down.
Has that thought ever drifted into anybody's minds before?
I am open to any comments or suggestions from Parents or anybody really, who has been exposed to raising children prior to myself. I am new at this.
