Advice on my 4 year old.(long)

aleeciabuskey · September 2015

So I figured this would be a good place to get a little advice on something about my 4 year old. So he is really into dinosaurs, reptiles anything ocean related, loves wild animals. He can be pretty shy sometimes (like everyone ) and when someone he doesn't know tries to talk to him when he doesn't want to he goes into "dino mode" we call it, which means he ignores them and starts to roar quietly like a dino. (Sounds weirder then it is). but this doesn't happen with everyone, sometimes he is very chatty. So anyways the hubs brought him to a friend's house that he's def comfortable at but there was a new lady there he didn't know. She i guess is a teacher somewhere. She tries to talk to him and he goes into dino mode, she asked hubs "why is he so shy?" Then later after they left acording to our friend , she also asked if he was Farrel .like a farrel animal...like wtf. Is that rude or what. Being a teacher I would think she would have a better understanding of children then that.. what do ypu think? Is this normal for a (just turning) 4 year old? Thanks :-S

thegingeravenger · September 2015

Calling him feral, unless she joking, is obnoxious. Kids can be weird. This will be my first, but with my few years of teaching swim lessons and being around my friends kids, I'd say it's pretty normal. My friend's son turns four this month and still speaks dinosaur from time to time and I've taught a kid that insisted that his name was Megatron. If this is all he's doing and your pediatrician isn't worried about him, don't sweat it.

dogsombrero · September 2015

Sounds like a phase some are more annoying than others. I don't think it's a huge deal at this point in time considering he's not always like this it doesn't sound like something is terribly off. You could always bring it up at the next pedi visit if you are concerned.

aleeciabuskey · September 2015

Thanks, I never thought it was a huge deal even though it was sometimes embarrassing. He is my first so I'm still learning as I go but this lady just hit a nerve and I know my DH def didn't handle it like I would have. Wish I was there and heard for myself ! I would have unleashed my 32 week preg hormones on her.

Cook3133 · September 2015

I have one of those to!! Both my oldest boys, 5.5 & 3.5 LOVE dinosaurs! And my 5 year old will still morph into one when he wants to, he scares the other children when he does this but is just trying to play. My 3 year old sounds like your 4 year old, he can be very chatty or just grunt at people when in shy mode. That teacher is a hag, it's just a phase and he'll grow out of it. At least he's communicating in some way

. Pre school has actually really helped my kids break out of their shells. But I love that they have such interest in dinosaurs!! Mine even know wich ones are wich, it's crazy!

Don't worry about it

aleeciabuskey · September 2015

@Cook3133 Haha ya they sound just alike! I'm always saying oh sorry he's in dino mode right now lol most ppl think it's funny. He's super into dinos and can tell u more about them then most adults I know. Even watches documenteries on Netflix . He starts preschool in a few weeks and I'm hoping it will break him out of his she'll a little. They already picked up on that he's really into natural science just from the open house they had to meet the kids and let them explore the class room.

MargaretC5 · September 2015

I know 2 and 4 are two different world for development, but DS does the exact same thing. We encourage him to do it because it makes him feel better when he is around things that scare him. DC asked us about it, they had not seen it before but did not seem concerned at all once we explained.
As PP mentioned if your pedi is not worried about it, I would not worry either.

JStill0603 · September 2015

Totally a phase and totally normal. My 5yo SS has went thru a few phases of favorite "characters." At one point... Probably between 3 and 4 he would only speak to his hand, which he called toodles (from Mickey Mouse clubhouse) and if we would ask him a question, he had to call toodle's (aka his left hand) in to give us the answer. Talk about looking weird!!! Now he is into sonic the hedgehog and only calls his grandparents Amy and Silver- his "hedgehog friends."

Gapeach83 · September 2015

Feral um no that's ridiculous. He still 4 and still not mature (which is normal). If he was 16 and doing it I would wonder but not 4.

aleeciabuskey · September 2015

Being a teacher I feel she should know why kids can be "so shy", he's not that shy lady he just doesn't know you and apparently didn't want to talk. Boys are hilarious. Thanks ladies!

nbpa3027 · September 2015

First of all, WTF to that lady who said that.

Second, I agree that it is just a phase and a way that he copes with new people. I would bring it up to your pedi, but I don't think it is anything to be alarmed by if he isn't doing it all the time. I would think that it might become a concern if this was the only way he communicated with people. If he just does it until he warms up to people, I would classify it as a phase.

My son loves all kinds of animals and used to do something pretty similar. We used to call it his method acting. There was one time he insisted he was a snail and needed to act like one all through dinner--he refused to use his hands and ate ridiculously slowly. He also HAD to slither out of preschool one day because he was a snake and hop out another day because he was a frog. Kids are weird. Sometimes I think you just have to go with it.

JLW0504 · September 2015

That lady should probably reevaluate her career if she's calling children feral. I would say your 4 YO has the stranger danger thing down. He seems to be using his imagination a little, too, with the dino sounds.

I have a 2 YO so, I'm not there yet but I would think his behavior is normal. Hers on the other hand.... she needs some time in the time out chair.

Barker2+1 · September 2015

I would agree this is totally normal behavior I have a 7 and 5 year old and they both went through similar shy stages. My 7 year old when he went through it refused to be called anything other than Bob (as in Bob the builder) and when he didn't want to talk to people he built things and just ignored them. My 5 year old when he went through it ore red he was the invisible man or spider man and everybody who made him nervous he would tell me was The Lizard in this hilarious voice. Kids are goofy that's all there is and that lady should be slapped for implying there was something wrong with yours. As other posts have said preschool really helped my kiddos through this phase and their preschool teachers rolled with it and never acted like anything was wrong in fact they would encourage other kids to join my sons pretend world and play. Lol

MercyC1130 · September 2015

I think that's adorable he does that.

Unica1302+ · September 2015

My sister works at a daycare and brought home this story about a little boy roaring. Sure enough a few weeks later half the room would roar. I thought it was funny. As long as he is ok in other areas he's probably fine. Maybe this lady was kidding...?

katrinasmith17 · September 2015

Sounds completely normal for a 4 yr old ! That lady was totally rude saying that ! What a b*tch

aleeciabuskey · September 2015

I feel like I need to explain to ppl sometimes when he does it but then other times I'm like ya whatever I wouldn't want to talk to you either haha. I wasn't sure if she was kidding either cuz I wasn't there, but our friend who told us said he looked at her like she was crazy and said HE'S NOT FAREL. Joke or not it's not funny. She needs to learn some manners for sure.maybe shes lucky or so awesome that every single kid she comes across loves her and she was taken aback by my farel one hhaa

VexedMommy · September 2015

My dd used to pretend to be various animals and in certain moods would only act like certain animals. He sounds typical. I might keep an eye out on future social development because the kind of focused obsession with dinosaurs you described is a possible symptom of being on the autism spectrum, but it's also a fairly common phase so probably nothing to worry about.

caressad · September 2015

I wouldn't worry too much. My 4 year old stepdaughter goes mute around strangers. Like will just blankly stare at them and refuse to speak to anyone, mayyyyybe will whisper in my or her dad's ear until she feels comfortable, and this could go on for almost an hour or so depending on where we are and how many new people we are around. Kids have different ways of coping with being uncomfortable, dinosaurs probably seem strong and brave so that's why your son goes to Dino mode when he's nervous

poupoule · September 2015

I dont have a kid to compare to, but my niece is 3.5, and she goes through phases, especially in the morning, where she just ignores people, not even look at them, not matter what you say or what you ask her. Then when she is in a comfy state of mind she will start chatting, play and scream if she feels like it.
I would say this is really typical, instead of going mute he goes dino-mode, that's it.
Now that I think of it I remember a girl from preschool with me, she became a cat, licking her hand, meowing etc. she must have been 5yo then..... She does not do it anymore

sadyy131 · September 2015

JStill0603 said:
Totally a phase and totally normal. My 5yo SS has went thru a few phases of favorite "characters." At one point... Probably between 3 and 4 he would only speak to his hand, which he called toodles (from Mickey Mouse clubhouse) and if we would ask him a question, he had to call toodle's (aka his left hand) in to give us the answer. Talk about looking weird!!! Now he is into sonic the hedgehog and only calls his grandparents Amy and Silver- his "hedgehog friends."

That is actually adorable Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is the best lol

rubirubi89 · September 2015

My little brother would randomly start barking at people after mom got him a dog. At the time he was around 3. He stopped after a few months.

RaisingJulian · September 2015

That lady would've ate her words had she said that about my child. I'm sure it's completely normal what ur son does. My son turns 3 on Wednesday and is currently in a phase where he recites episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and when I say recites I mean literally says everything the characters said in that specific episode (well what he can remember anyway) it worried me at first but I talked to the dr about it and she said that's perfectly normal he just loves it.

thefithuntress · September 2015

There was a kid at the restaurant I was at chasing his little sister around growling like a dinosaur. He even had his hands up to his chest, stuck out his neck, and was stomping around. I was kind of impressed with his ability to mimic a T-Rex so well. Sounds like a typical silly kid to me!

aleeciabuskey · September 2015

@thefithuntress haha! Sounds just like mine! He will even stick out 2 fingers like they are claws! I have a hard time believing this kid chasing his sister around wasn't him, except he doesn't have a sister and I can't stand when kids run around a restaurant so he wouldn't be doing that if I could help it haha.

cbolton19 · September 2015

That is weird she said that. I think it sounds adorable that he does that! No wonder he went into Dino mode around her, sounds like the best way to deal with her. Kids are silly and do funny things! It's cute and sounds completely reasonable.

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