Thank you for adding into this amazing article! It’s been a year since we moved to a different city, and my now three year old son still says he misses his old home. He also says he a sad little boy. 🙁 Hearing this breaks my heart. It’s nice knowing others are going through similar situations! I am already nervous for when we have to move again I’m about four years. 🙁

Also, when she was too rough with her sister and I told her to be careful as that hurts her sister she said she wanted to “hurt herself” which really concerns me.

She also says if she hurts her sister people will still like her they just won’t like what she did. At first I agreed but then she seemed to think this meant she could get away with anything. So I told her that friends don’t hurt each other and that people might not like her if she hurts them, just like she wouldn’t like someone that hurt her and they wouldn’t really be a friend. But now I’m worried I didn’t handle it properly. This stuff is tough. Any suggestions?

My pleasure, Meg. Thank you for your kind words!

Hi Holly – Please don’t worry at all. I would simply respond with more confidence and curiosity next time she makes one of these comments. She needs you to be the safe place she can bounce these ideas off of… It is so hard for us not to get consumed by fear and worry, but this is a time to try. Sharing these thoughts with you means she trusts you, which is a very positive sign.

Sadly I found this after months my my daughter (4) saying she wishes she was someone else which I thought was her 4yo way of saying I don’t like myself. I did everything wrong. She was crying the first time and said she though God would make another one of her. We were driving. I pulled over crawled in the back with her and cried with her. But since then she has said I wish I was so and so. She doesn’t seem to have a reason why. At first I thought she wanted to be someone who had a dad – in a single mom and her dad has never been involved. He’s never met her. He never wanted her. But I’m but I’m not so sure that’s the case. I feel broken for her. My heart aches and after reading this I feel I have responded in all the wrong ways. What can I do to help her see how wonderful she is?

My pleasure!

Sounds like you handled the situation beautifully, Marian! Supporting you is my pleasure.

Not alarmed because I happened to read this post a couple weeks ago. Thank you!

I repeated back to her what she said, with care in my voice. I let her miss her friends (who can only visit once a month) and I also gained strength and resolve to absolutely be strong and unwavering in my belief that she will continue with her new school (she just turned 4), so that she can make friends in our new town.

I am confident she will manage this transition with my full-on support.

Thank you to everyone who commented, as well.

Aww, thank you, Helen, and it’s absolutely my pleasure!