What Is Wrong with My Son??

J.,

If you have already tried the suggestions others have written without success, then there is something else going on besides boredom and socialization issues.

No need to get excited and I'm not saying this to scare you, it is merely an avenue to investigate if the above does not do the trick. Too many times people, including medical professionals (...okay... especially medical professionals), don't take mom's questions regarding their children to seriously; they tend to blow it off as a "phase" or "nothing to worry about" or "they'll grow out of it.

You may need to look back through his 4 years of life to see if there was any significant event that may have caused this aversion (if it indeed is one). As you already know some events or issues may not seem significant to us or other people, but can have a whole different impact on someone else; especially considering their age, maturity level, state of mind, etc. Maybe there was a trauma of some kind, an event (like a dog/cat/animal making noise)that your child associates with the outdoors.
What was your child like as an infant, toddler? Were there feeding issues, tactile issues (being held, touching), noise level reactions, behaviors that warrent concern (head bagging, unusual body movements, arching of back, etc) slow developmentally in one area or another.
Sometimes very benign symptoms/reactions/behaviors can indicate
underlying problems.

Let me know what ends up working for you. Good Luck.

D. B.

Does he go outside alone? Maybe if he had someone he could play with he would like it better? I know my 3 yo gets bored if she doesn't have anyone to play with. What about a sand box/table? My kids LOVE that!

J....My four year old is the same way if myself or one of his older brothers and sisters is not with him. I have noticed that as long as I am with in his field of vision he is fine. The minute he can't see me he is having none of it. Granted now that everyone else is in school he doesn't know what to do by himself...but he is learning. See if he will work with you planting flowers, rock garden, watching birds, or butterflies anything he can do with mom outside. You can even be creative and work on his alphabet...things like, look buby that is an ant, it starts with the letter a...etc. Hope some of that helps.

K.

I know that my year old loves to be outside, but I am always out there also, even if I am on the porch, he will still come up and talk to me and then go back to playing

My son is also 4, and he loves being outside, but only if someone is with him. He won't even play with the dog in our fenced-in backyard. I think that's normal. If he's an only child, look for neighbor kids that he can play with, or take him to a playground where other kids are around. He probably just doesn't want to be outside alone.

You need to ask him why he does not like to play outside. Also find out if there is a painful experience associated with going outside. Could be a medical thing...How long has this been going on for? Are you an outside person yourself? Kids tend to continue what we started. Take him for walks, bike rides, reward him each time he goes out until it becomes a habilt. Have a picnic outside. I am just throwing suggestions out there. Make it fun for him with you involved...Let me know how it goes. But make sure there is nothing medical going on or a bad experience like dogs that scare him or other children being mean. Find out first why he does not want to go out before you "push" him to go out. All the best!! Give him credit for going out there for a minute. Next time it will be 2 then 3 then half hour. Slowly by slowly. Have a blessed day!
C.

Has he gotten bitten by a bug or something?? it sounds like something really is bothering him.. I would really try to talk with him and find out why he does not want to go out there.. Something has had to of happend to him.. Try and get it out of him.. My daughter did not like the out doors at that age by herself I had to be out there with her, it can be scarey and over welming to kids my themselves.. But I would try and talk with him and try and see maybe what he is afraid of. Do not push him out it may cause more trama.. Good luck ...