Behavior issues in Preschool

[azmomma03]

I have a child that will be 4 next week and is having some behavioral issues in preschool. I started him out in March within a home daycare setting where he would be in a small group (I thought this would be better for his personality). After 6 months of being there and 2 phone calls from the provider we decided to take him out because the provider said she could not "handle his behavior". She said that he hits, pinches, picks on the other kids and is mean to them in general. In the mornings  I would try to observe to see what she was talking about and I never witnessed anything with my child, only with her 5 year old son that has autism. He required her undivided attention. If he did not receive this then he would climb up on refrigerators, throw books off of shelves, throw toys at the other kids etc. Anyways, I feel that in the six months that my son was in her care that he learned alot of bad habits from this little boy and now he is in a bad position at his new preschool. Today I was informed by the new teacher that he was hitting the other kids. One girl got hit on the head with a toy pan. She says that she has to have him sit next to her in circle time cause he picks on the other kids and that he pulled a chair out from under another child causing that child to fall.  What can I do to help my son interact in a positive way since I am not their with him during the day. Is this behavior normal? At home I don't have any issues like this cause there are not other children his age around. Help!

[alliee0204]

Sounds like the issues with my son. His behavior problems in school are not present at mom. We would also get calls about him hitting other kids and acting out. My only suggestion is keep a close eye on the situation, speak to a doctor if your child gets more aggressive. Get get child involved in group activities such as sports, music, art etc. The more exposure he or she gets socializing the better. Children need to learn social skills. Make sure the teacher or day care providers are a good fit. Many dont like to deal with active kids. Good luck.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

No, the behavior is not normal. The prior daycare experience, while it was not a good one, likely has very little to do with what is occurring now. Some children are not ready for group contact with peers and require more time when they can be near one or two peers but have limited need for interaction. If your son has to remain in this setting, the teacher should seat him near, but not next to, other children. When any infraction occurs he should be placed in time out, and a reward system should be established to reinforce his adherence to the rules.