Your four year old now shows greater self-control. Dressing, feeding and washing are mostly done independently. They know what is right and wrong and what it is to tell a lie. Their pretend play is complex and sophisticated, although they may still need help in separating fantasy from reality. They have a basic grasp of number, colours, size and time. Confident in social situations with greater communication, they like to initiate conversations with others. When asked a question they reply with a clear and well-thought out answer. They are making many new friends and the minor arguments from earlier are less frequent. Boys tend to play with boys more and girls with girls. They continue to ask what, why and how questions and show an interest in the bigger questions such as life and death. Your child continues to achieve important milestones during this year but it is important to remember that all children do so at their own pace. The milestones below will give you an idea of what progress you can expect but please do not worry if your child takes a little longer or indeed achieves some of these earlier than indicated. As a parent you have a very important part to play in supporting this development within a loving and caring relationship. The ideas below will help you to support your child’s development.
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