Sneakiness in 4.5 year old

We need a preschool age discussion thread lol, because dd is hardly a toddler, but anyway.

I have just noticed a sudden interest in sneakiness in dd 4.5 and I was wondering if it's just another normal developmental thing. For eg she is loving the idea of spying on people and things, and whispering things to her brother so I can't hear. She is also hiding things like lollies she got at a party because she knows we don't have lollies in our house.

We are also getting some name calling - I get called a booby when she is cross lol - and some exaggerated crying if anything is wrong ( like melodrama style).

It's just an interesting development because the last six months have been blissful with dd. she is so cooperative and obedient and generally a great kid and I'm a bit taken aback by this sudden change towards secrecy.

Totally normal! Well, at least in mine that have been that age. DD1 was bad there for a while, but she will be 5 in a week and a half and appears to have grown out of it. DS is 6.5 and still like it - but I think thats the influence of his cousin who he thinks is extremely funny. We don't.

My 3.5 yr old DD is exactly this. Also deliberately ignores her brother as she know it drives him mental. I'm really hoping this stage passes soon.

I would say it's normal. Lying is a developmental stage and I guess there are all of the other things that surround that like hiding, secrets, spying etc. DD1 is 7 and still hides things like lollies (I'm guessing mainly from DD2) but it still gets annoying. DD1 also likes to eavesdrop on conversations as she thinks adults conversation is more interesting and she learns things :lol:

I'm hoping it's normal because my DS is the same! He lies to our face even when we know he knows we know the truth! He calls us poo poo head or bum bum. I assume he's picked that up at kindy because we don't use those words. He full on sulks when he doesn't get his way or the tiniest thing goes wrong. I'm hoping he'll grow out of it because he's generally very good otherwise.

Dd2 is like this, not so much the spying but she hides things, food for later she made herself sick by drinking milk that was hidden away but it's also rocks, paper hair brushes even my book! I have learnt if anything is missing to ask her. Hoping the food will stop as she was sick for two days. Right now all her winter clothes are missing as she wants to wear dresses instead. Glad it's not just us, as dd1 was never like this.

Sign of intelligence. Either that or all that on-demand love I gave really did result in a sneaky, manipulative child. With Liebling, it is things such as lies about his day like he learnt how to fly at school (with a "sneaky" look on his face) or that he hasn't eaten biscuits etc. The stories are fine as that's imagination and we build on it, then I let him know it's pretend by asking what he did in class rather than at break. With a lie to get what he wants, I won't play and he doesn't get what he wants.

We also get tantrums when he doesn't get his own way. I laugh at him and say how ridiculous he looks. He often chooses to put himself on time-out at this point, so I can't laugh at him. He sits and pouts and huffs, but I am not allowed to laugh because he's on time out.

The melodrama and hiding stuff has stopped, I am pleased to say. Unless we're playing at melodrama, when I give as good as I get.

Yep, DS is the same age & he is discovering being sneaky & hiding things. He likes to play tricks too. Its very cute as he can't help but smile as he is trying to convince you that he has lost something that really he is hiding behind his back.