Having Hard Time with 3 1/2 Year Old's Hard Time...

Ask your ped for an evaluation with a play therapist. Let her see what triggers his stressors. Write down everything you see that is a problem and give it to her in an easy-to-read format. Go about your day with your children in front of her as you normally would.

She will give your ped and you some good advice on how to proceed with him. I believe she will recommend an OT to work on sensory integration issues at the beginning.

Please try this - I really think this is a more helpful thing than reading books at this point.

Good luck, M..
Dawn

Hi M..
While I cannot read the other answers now, I will share what I have learned as I too have 'anxiety issues.'
1. Stop seeing yourself as having 'anxiety issues' :) Perhaps sensitive. Perhaps you like things a certain way. Your character is a gift in the world.
2. Once you can perhaps see yourself without a label, maybe you can see your son with a new set of eyes as well. OK. He did not like the water. Or going to school one or two mornings. We can all be there. He may be 'sensitive'...and let things affect him more than it would others. But his sensitivity is a gift to the world as is yours.

Does that make sense. I have learned to make peace -- somewhat :) -- with my sensitivity. As I do so, I can be a better mother perhaps as well.

HTH. Jilly

My DD is 3.5 and in the last few months it's been a lot harder. Everything is a meltdown. We drive to Grandma's house and she cries that she wants to go home (though she is fine later). We go to a barbecue and she AND the other 3 yr old there both cry that they don't want to be there. What often works is to distract her and get her thinking about something else. I'm told this is a common phase. So for Grandma's house, we might walk the dog. I tell her that it is different but it's the adventure kind of different. At church, I took her to the Children's Moment and then when the kids went to Sunday School she was ready to go. I so hear you, though. It's hard when they aren't shy but are now all of a sudden. Just hang in there and be gently encouraging.

These are all normal 3 year old behaviors. My daughter is the same way and has difficultly with transitions and has tantrums for no good reason. We try to give advance warning for transitions and praise good behavior/ignore tantrums or talk through what she's feeling. For some the terrible 2's come later and for us I notice lack of sleep can be a real factor. Consider what time he's going to bed and try to give him periods of one on one time that he can depend on. Good luck, it's a tough time but perfectly normal.