Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

1 2 3 4

AIBU?

To keep ds off school tomorrow because he's exhausted?

100 replies

Mittensonkittens · 01/12/2013 12:33

Ds is in reception. He's well below statutory school age being one of the youngest. He has really struggled with being tired anyway and unfortunately is one of these children that is hyperactive when tired. Basically the more tired he is the harder he finds it to sleep.

Yesterday we had a family wedding at which ds was page boy. He just about got through it but today is extremely tearful, emotional and easily frustrated. He can't concentrate and his reactions to everything are very over the top. He won't nap and never has so the best I can do is put him to bed about 6pm.

If he sleeps in tomorrow (going to bed early and sleeping in are the only ways to help since he won't nap in the day as he fights sleep like it's the enemy) would I be unreasonable to keep him at home and have a quiet day? He hasn't had a day off so far since starting and has a full on couple of weeks coming up with school performances and school christmas parties. I would just tell him he was a bit under the weather. He loves school so isn't the sort of child to decide he wants another day off randomly and play on it. It would just be a recovery day. Generally since starting reception we haven't been able to do anything at the weekend so he can recover from the week but it was unavoidable as it was a wedding. We also stopped over at the hotel so he didn't sleep well even when he was in bed.

AIBU?

OP posts:

Report

VivaLeBeaver · 01/12/2013 12:35

He's in reception, I'd say a day off won't kill him. However let him have an early night tonight and see how he is in the morning.

DameDeepRedBetty · 01/12/2013 12:37

I would. Just tell school he's a bit poorly, which technically he is.

georgedawes · 01/12/2013 12:38

I would too

lilyaldrin · 01/12/2013 12:40

He's in Reception, he doesn't even need to be there yet so he won't be missing anything important. I'd keep him home.

Shellywelly1973 · 01/12/2013 12:43

My ds is one of the youngest in his class, he's in Yr1 now.

It wouldn't hurt to keep your ds off for a day but I do think your being a little OTT.

I have 5 dc & at 4/5 none of them would 'nap' in the day. I don't think your ds is unusual in that respect. I would put him to bed earlier during the week. My dc rarely got to stay up late at the weekends until they were at least 8/9.

All my dc get tired near the end if term.

HumphreyCobbler · 01/12/2013 12:43

I would keep him off. He is so little.

mrsjay · 01/12/2013 12:45

your post seems a bit over the top he is just tired nothing more or less he isn't Ill or anything saying that if you dont think he is not fit for school keep him home,

ForalltheSaints · 01/12/2013 12:48

He'll probably be Ok in the morning and make sure he goes to bed when you suggest.

lifeissweet · 01/12/2013 12:48

Don't decide now. See how he is in the morning. I think he'll probably be fine.

My eldest DS gets migraines when he's tired, so I am a bit more careful with him, but have still never had cause to keep him off school.

Younger DS is terrible when he's tired. His behaviour plummets

arethereanyleftatall · 01/12/2013 12:51

I wouldn't let him have a day off, when there is an easy alternative of putting him to bed at 6 and letting him sleep for 13 hours. Sorted and not worth worrying over.

lifeissweet · 01/12/2013 12:51

Sorry - didn't finish that! DSS (it should have said) can't cope with being tired. He will lash out and be rude and get into trouble. He's also never been kept off school, but he us new into reception too and I've found him really difficult at weekends recently. They are little and tired out. If he still seems tired in the morning then consider it, but maybe just try early nights all week until he catches up with himself.

Mittensonkittens · 01/12/2013 12:55

I think that's why I worry with ds - being tired affects his behaviour and he is much more difficult. Some children seem to cope better than others with being tired and mine doesn't cope well and never has.

My friend has a daughter only six months older and she copes fine, she has been able to carry on as usual at weekends. We have had to stop weekend clubs and turn down invites to things because ds just doesn't cope. I know it sounds ott but he is like an entirely different child when he hasn't had enough sleep! Then we get into the overtired so sleeps less pattern that is hard to break.

OP posts:

santandhishappybandofelves · 01/12/2013 12:56

i KEEP MY NURSERY CHILD HOME WHENEVER WE HAVE A CLADSH - her time with me is limited - I wont worry about attendance until I legally have to.

SteamWisher · 01/12/2013 12:59

The thing is being at a wedding would have been quite full on for him anyway.

So super early tea and dinner. I'd take him to school though, but that's just me.

curlew · 01/12/2013 12:59

I would. And I'd tell the school why.

noblegiraffe · 01/12/2013 13:01

Does seem OTT, they're all tired at the moment, and it will only be worse as term drags on. You can't keep him off every time he is tired, quiet day today, early night tonight and he'll probably be fine once he's in school tomorrow.

My DS is August-born, in reception, and we had a disastrous journey recently where we got stuck on the M25 on a Sunday evening so didn't get back till well past bedtime and he was really tired the next day. He went in, and I just mentioned it to the teacher. He was ok.

lilyaldrin · 01/12/2013 13:04

You can keep them off every time they are tired in Nursery or Reception when they are only 4 though. You could keep them home the entire Reception year if you wanted.

scaevola · 01/12/2013 13:05

I wouldn't keep him off. The aim is to get him onto a normal routine and improve his sleep habits so that he can cope with his daily life. Changing daily life because he isn't sleeping is not going to further that aim.

I'd take him in as usual, but warn the teacher in the morning that he's had a special and tiring weekend, and you are concerned that he might be overtired; and offer to come in to pick him up early if she thinks he's not coping with the school day.

BigWellyLittleWelly · 01/12/2013 13:07

This is why we're holding our dd back a whole year - August born she still sleeps two hours in the day and the more tired she gets the more outrageous her behaviour.

LEA have agreed as well.

CiderwithBuda · 01/12/2013 13:07

Keep him off. This is a long term and they get exhausted. And if tiredness affects his behaviour so much his teacher will probably be grateful! I've kept DS off for tiredness much old than 4.

BigWellyLittleWelly · 01/12/2013 13:07

And in your shoes I'd keep him off

HedgehogsRevenge · 01/12/2013 13:07

Surely today is recovery day. I would think he'd be fine after a good night's sleep.

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

ChristmasJumperWearer · 01/12/2013 13:10

I would let him have a day off.

My DC1 reached the point of exhaustion around this time of year in her first term in Reception (still aged 4yo) and I kept her at home for a day.

She slept for a large chunk of it, and it did her the power of good. When I phoned the school they said it sounded like a good idea (she had 100% attendance otherwise).

noblegiraffe · 01/12/2013 13:12

Well yes, technically you can keep him off, but he is going to be tired a lot, and IMO being tired isn't reason enough to keep a child off school. It's not setting up good expectations for Y1.

GideonKipper · 01/12/2013 13:13

Surely the school would have something to say about huge chunks of non-attendance or the whole year off lilyaldrin. Imagine if it's an oversubscribed school - another child could've had that place and made good use of it.

OP I don't see it's a big deal either way in Reception if he has one day off because he's knackered.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.