My Four Year Old

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah

The countdown has begun ….

Ayanna celebrates her fifth birthday next month and she’s excited!
We’re letting her in on planning her birthday party, which will be held with her friends at school. She picked the venue. Ayanna also chose a princess theme for her party. Now that she’s old enough it’s a great way of making her feel responsible and involved.

Ayanna’s moving into an exciting fifth year – one that’s going to involve a new school, new friends and teachers.

As Ayanna matures, there are times when she finds it a challenge to cope with her feelings of frustration or anger. If she begins to whine or get emotional, I usually tell her that I will leave the room but will count to five before I return and hopefully by then she would be in a better mood. It usually gets her out of her mood quite quickly. Taking a deep breath – inhale and exhale- helps. Other calming activities include taking a walk or heading out to the playground. Such activities help her learn to identify her strong feelings and they make her realize that she’s able to control them.