Challenges with the four-year-old has come up on three separate lists I am on, so I tried to round up some helpful posts for you all:

The ever-popular “defiance” post:  http://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/09/16/a-few-fast-words-regarding-defiance-in-children-under-the-age-of-6/

Gentle Discipline:

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2008/10/16/gentle-discipline-as-authentic-leadership/

“Command, Don’t Demand” – not sure why the permalink says what it says:

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2008/10/20/getting-past-fear/

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2008/10/22/developing-healthy-boundaries/

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2008/10/26/big-tools-for-the-big-picture/

A good read for many of you trying to replace another parenting style with gentle discipline:

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2008/10/29/top-10-must-have-tools-for-gentle-discipline/

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/01/16/irritation-points-for-parents-of-children-birth-age-4/

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/04/30/help-my-child-doesnt-seem-to-know-right-from-wrong/

Here are some very specific to the four-year-old:

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/09/09/more-about-social-experiences-for-the-four-year-old/

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/09/05/realistic-expectations-for-the-four-year-old/

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/08/05/parenting-the-high-needs-older-child/

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/06/03/more-about-the-four-year-old/

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/09/28/realistic-expectations-day-number-ten-of-20-days-toward-being-a-more-mindful-mother/

Scroll down to the end for some tips of how to handle the four-year-old year:

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/02/07/peaceful-life-with-a-four-year-old/

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/02/04/fantastic-four-year-old/

Thanks,

Carrie