Maybe being institutionalized all day isn't the best thing for every 4-year-old boy.
No foolin'. IMO, a lion's share of the problem (besides being starved for parents' attention) is sleep deprivation. Little kids need a lot of sleep & I doubt they're getting it. According to the chart in the following article, a 3 YO needs 12 hrs of sleep, a 4 YO needs 11 1/2...
When I was directing a mother's morning preschool there was one little boy who was a terror. After many consultations with the parents, we suggested she visit the pediatrician I sent my children to. (He was on Fox news a month ago as one who advocates spanking when necessary. He is a father of 5, wonderful man) Well this mom went to him saying she believed her son was ADD, she had gotten this response from 2 other pediatricians. He asked her to first follow a schedule and if there were no improvements in his behavior then they would try something else. This schedule included 10 hours sleep at night, 1 -2 hour nap, scheduled meals and snacks, outside play, and limited t.v.(1 hour only a day). Also he gave her incentive charts to show how to use positive discipline. Within a month this child was behaving so much better and this pediatrician proved children are being labeled ADD too often. Sleep deprivation is the biggest problem and a lack of structure.