Fantastic four year olds are little people with lots of growth and learning potential during their fourth year. During this year they will become more sophisticated thinkers as they enter the age of finding out about themselves and the world around them.
Your four year old will probably show signs of the following physical motor skills, needs, and specific activities.
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- More refined and precise gestures
- Buttons clothes, laces shoes, uses the restroom, and washes hands without help
- Likes to climb, balance and jump
- can climb a tree and come down by himself
- Is an independent eater
- Can’t sit still for long
- Has a rapid metabolism and lots of energy
- Is accident prone
Emotionally, a four year old may show the following feelings of affection, anger, fear, jealousy, anxiety, and sympathy.
- Sophistication
- Many fears still persist
- Senses right and wrong
- Beginning of pity for others
- Learning sense of values
- Likes to dramatize
- Quarreling, bickering, name calling, tall tales, and socially disapproved expressions are common
During this age of “finding-out” about themselves and their surroundings many four year olds show these behaviors in relation to other children, adults, and groups.
- Self assertion
- Asks What? Why? and How? questions
- Is a do-er and a go-er
- Longs to play with other children in groups
- Can be bossy or exhibit bossiness
- social situations are sometimes difficult
- Awareness of attitudes and opinions of others
- Shares possessions
- helps around the house, short errands, feeds pets, dusts, etc.
The mental development of a four year old is considered sophisticated. Your four year olds language, curiosity, investigation, exploration, and questions will lead him to:
- Be imaginative
- Express verbal assertiveness and exaggeration
- Tell original stories mixing truth and fiction
- Not repeat stories over and over
- Want evidence of “Why” and “How”
- Know afternoon from morning and yesterday from tomorrow
- Enjoy simple folk and fairy tales
- Count to 10
- Enormously increased vocabulary
- Verbal conflict and decrease in physical aggression
- Show judgment about his own safety