Child having trouble adjusting every birthday
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Anonymous
| Hi. I have a son who just turned 7 and every birthday since 4 he has had trouble adjusting to his " new" age. This year he claims he doesn't want to be 7 and wants to stay 6 forever. It's been a month since his birthday. He says he doesn't want to grow up and that's why he hates birthdays. I really don't know what to do to make him understand it's a normal part of life and he just needs to deal with it. Has anyone else had this issue and if so, any tips??? |
Anonymous
| Laugh at him, tell him time passes. The less attention you give it, the faster it will go away. |
Anonymous
| It sounds as if your son has anxiety. Does this manifest in other ways too? |
Anonymous
I agree. I think you're focusing too much on convincing him of his true age. Say "I know, it's funny having a different age all of a sudden, isn't it? Let's go for a walk!" And change the subject. |
Anonymous
| My dd was like when she turned 4 in August. She insisted she was three until last month, when she decided she was okay with being 4. We just rolled with it - I don't see the point in pushing it. Heck, I'd rather say I'm 39 than forty-something! |
Anonymous
my kids were like this too.... and they generally got over it by turning their new age and realizing it wasn't any different from their old age. This isn't a "problem" that needs to be fixed... life itself will dictate that they age up every year. There is nothing to do about it. |
Anonymous
| Read him Peter Pan. |
Anonymous
| My son did the same thing at 5. He said he wasn't going to turn 5 and no one could make him. We thought it was pretty funny and told him he didn't have any say in the matter but didn't argue the point with him. Arguing with children is like dealing with a drunk, you will never get them to see the facts. |
Anonymous
|
My kids did the same up til about 7 or 8. Its quite normal. Its the daunting prospect of change. You can reassure him that change is gradual, which is why it takes a whole year full of 365 days before another birthday comes around.
You don't need to laugh at him. Children's fears and concerns should never be dismissed or mocked. That's the route to a bad parent/ child relationship. |
Anonymous
| I would be sympathetic about it. Agree with the person who suggested your kid may be anxious in general. Not much to do but be calm and reassuring. Describe some of the fun things your kid can do now that he's older, and remind him that he can still do the things he liked from earlier years. Reading him the first few paragraphs of Sandra Cisneros' "Eleven" might be reassuring--both that growing up doesn't mean you change who you are, and that other people feel the same way he does. http://genius.com/Sandra-cisneros-eleven-annotated |
Anonymous
| Not abnormal. Just sympathize but acknowledge that everyone gets older and that he was very good st bring "x" and eventually he'll be good at being "x+1" too |
Anonymous
Why would you ever laugh at something that clearly bothers the child? |
Anonymous
To teach them that people laugh at you when you are ridiculous. This is a case where being sympathetic, reading books etc feeds right into the drama. |
Anonymous
My son said something like that when he was about to turn 8--about how he liked his age and didn't want to get older. I responded while driving: That makes me happy to hear because it means you are very happy in life. I also told him there were a lot of great things that came with getting older---he loves cars: so driving, etc. It was a quick convo and left it at that. I didn't make a big deal out of it. |
Anonymous
| Sounds like he is smart, I'd rather not have to be a grownup and do all the things that come with it. |