The secret life of 4 year olds

I kept thinking of the Haribos advert.

I just watched it on youtube - lovely children, even the bully in the end
I though it mainly shows the different characters emerging. A lot of the things they said were probably what they'd heard their parents saying.
After retiring I had a part-time job helping a Downs girl to integrate in a class of "normal" 4 year olds. There was one pair of girls , twins, who showed so much empathy and kindness towards her. The others were tolerant , she could be difficult.
There was also a heavyweight boy, very like Chaim. I felt rather sorry for him, he was so different because of his size. He grew up to be a decent teenager.
I remember the teacher in charge saying that most of the problems at this age would change, especially a little girl who refused to speak, and she was right.

I think you're talking about the previous one-off documentary shown earlier this year, TriciaF - the little boy called Chaim was featured in that.

A six part series with the same title started last night, hence this thread .

Oh dear - typical!
I still enjoyed it though.

Yes so did I, I think the camera followed the children around a bit more on the earlier programme when they were just doing their own thing, this new one seems less spontaneous.

I love listening to some of their conversations. All the things they hear their parents say Must remember to employ a Hula Hoop next time I want to get someone's attention!

Watching this week, it was so sad that Elliot ( little new blonde boy) had lost his Mother to cancer when he was only 2 years old, but still talked about her.The Father was doing a good job of bringing up the two children by himself, but what a heartbreaking situation for the whole family.It did make me think about grumbling on about something at our age, and how glad we should be that we are still here, after a ( fairly) long life, to see our children grown up, and with their own children.

I agree, and lovely to watch him (Elliot) come out of his shell and make a friend or two.

The girls are certainly a lot more manipulative and devious than the boys - I'm sure I was never that articulate at 4! Felt sorry for Connie at the end when she'd fallen out of favour with Lola (is that her name? Little blonde girl)

Yes, Lola is more manipulative than Tia, who is bossy but basically kind.I liked the boy who asked Tia ( newly married!) if he could play, and said could he be "their pet crocodile".

Rosesarered - you are so right, about Elliot's family and about our own good fortune. I kept thinking how sad for the mother to look at her two year old and baby and know she couldn't be there for them much longer. Unimaginable.

I can remember girls ganging up to leave one out when I was 9/10 it's so harsh. This showed it begins much younger. It goes on all through childhood and causes a lot of unhappiness. The singing of emotions is new to me, it was funny when they all started doing it.
Super programme, looking forward to the 5 year olds.

Eirel. I thought it was a Montessori school?

I don't think it's any particular 'type' of school. Where did you get your information from, starbird?

I wondered about Steiner because of something I glimpsed in the end credits.

Girls do seem to be more manipulative somehow. My three little grandsons seem so much more straightforward, even with the one who may or may not be autistic what you see is very much what you get.

When my best friend and I moved up to the Grammar school she suddenly cut me dead and never spoke to me again - I never did find out why. If we'd been boys I'm sure we'd have been too busy building something to fall out.

I don't know, it was just the way it was set out, I expect Elrel is right if she saw it in the credits.

Deedaa - I thought the girl I sat next to in primary school was a good friend until secondary school when it rapidly became clear that I was firmly dropped.

Odd isn't it Elrel DS is still in touch with a friend he made at playgroup when they were three. After over 30 years I don't think they've ever fallen out.

Yes, I heard or saw on one of the programmes that it was a Steiner school; I think the children must have been picked to spend a week there just before they started at primary school.

I noticed it particularly because there was a thread with posts about Steiner schools (a worried gran posting) and I thought what a lovely school it seemed to be.