4 Year Old Change of Personality- Complaining/fears

It's not a change in personality so much as it is a cognitive development.
She's at the age where she's noticing that there's a bigger world out there than she's previously thought about - and it can be overwhelming and scary sometimes.

I saw a toddler at the beach this year who simply lost it - she shrieked and cried about the sand (it wasn't hot) and water and insisted Mom carry her and not put her down.
And the Mom was like "She just loved the beach last year and had a great time. This year it's not her thing at all.".

Our son was about 4 when we had him in Little Gym.
He had lots of fun.
And then for the last class all the parents were there with all kinds of cameras - and suddenly he had stage fright and would NOT leave my lap for the whole class.

They do figure it out eventually and their confidence returns - but the phase can last a long time.
As for the whining and complaining - how much does she hear from others?
Do they get attention for doing it?
Well - she wants in on that action - so she's coming up with complaints of her own.
Try to ignore complaints/whining (from her and everyone else) and when she's not doing it THEN lavish her with attention and praise.
"You put your bowl on the counter for me - what a wonderful helper you are!" etc and so forth.
Positive reinforcement should help her lose the whining habit.

I feel that something has happened. Someone she trusted abused her trust and hurt her - if not physically, then mentally - at either her preschool (most likely this one) or at the yoga class childwatch. It could be another child or an adult. I suggest you stay and watch what happens after you drop her off sometime. Don't let her or at least most of the teachers know that you are still there. You will probably see her looking fearfully at the person/ persons that she is afraid of. She complains about those other things to get out of going to the classes. Good luck!

If nothing has happened in these places (preschool, YMCA etc) then she
is most likely realizing there's a bigger world out there & she's confined
to this space.
If she went to preschool last year, I can understand why she is bored of
it this year.
Kids change their likes & dislikes constantly. They need constant
stimulation & changes in that stimulation.
I would try: talking about how fun preschoool is/can be, the friends she
gets to see, the new things she gets to learn, drive different ways there
and engage her by showing her different things/sights. "Let's look for
the cows coming up", "The red fire engine is close by", "Let's see who
can find the first yellow car".
Then make a celebration the first week of school. The night BEFORE and
when she gets home. Make a mini-big-girl party.
Give her a little picture of you to take with her put it in her backpack on a
keychain telling her "you're with her & she can look at it anytime she
thinks of you".
Get her a little gecko decoration for her room because "only she gets to go to that class".
My child has gone through SEVERAL stages like this at that age. What
he liked at that time, he did not enjoy 6 months later but came back
around another 6 months after that.
So hang in there.

Our god daughter began this sort of complaining at aroudnt hat age. She had a series of small accidents, dislocated arm, swallowing a coin, etc. which gave rise to legitimate complaints. The conditions resolved, but the complaining never stopped. In fact she sometimes still reverts to this sort of thing. It's earned her the nickname "grandma achy"

Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

Hi Mama
Oh the joys of motherhood,so often it was said to me enjoy why they are babies because once they start school it is all psychology from them on lol
My now 6 yr old gets likes this with change to his routine. It started when he was around 4yrs also. With him it is his way of expressing that he needs extra support and attention. At first we found it quite worrying that his personality would change so much but we are used to it now. In fact he just started back at school last week and he has gone from a very happy child all summer to being frightened at bed time etc. So as I said we are giving him extra attention,trying to hold my patience and it will ride himself out. In a few weeks all will be fine again.
Your little one has gone from summertime to back at school and it is probably her way of communicating that she is feeling a little vulnerable with the change. At 4yrs they do not yet have the language as we do to express emotions.
Best of luck
B. k

It is normal. By four, they have come to realize some things. First, "mommy is LEAVING me somewhere. I don't like to be left." And they start to realize that everything in the world is not sunshine, lolipops and unicorns - there are things out there that are frightening. It's a realization of the world around her. Completely normal.

One thing I tell people is when you have to "leave" your child with a sitter, try to take the child to the sitter instead of the sitter coming to you. That way it becomes "I get to go to X" rather than "mommy left me here with x". Big difference in their minds.

Also, some things that were new and fun to do, are now seen as work.

Basically, she has begun to see the world as it really is and she's adjusting.