Four year old always exhausted

[Flumptious]

Hi

I'm new so not sure if I'm putting this in the right place.

I'm worried about my daughter who started school in September after just turning four. She's bright and very confident with most things, but I've been told a few times now by her teacher that she seems tired all the time. She hasn't really done PE since she started as she makes such a fuss getting changed that it's not been worth it, apparently. Her behaviour isn't too bad normally (although she definately has my stubborn and naughty streak), but when she's tired she won't do as she's told or listen to anything.

I'm going to see the teacher tomorrow after school to talk a bit more about it and possibly going back to the doctors for tests (after he found nothing wrong two weeks ago)

I suppose I'm really hoping there's someone out there who has had similar problems, to tell me it'll be ok and it's all just new!

Sorry, I've waffled on a bit.

[phipps]

How does she sleep at night and for how long?

When my ds started school he was still napping every few days and used to come home for lunch and then went for a nap most days for the first half term.

[EnnisDelMar]

It sounds normal to me - many reception kids are still too little really for full time school.

I took my son out of reception and he went back, much less sleepy and much more cheerful, in year 1.

Go with your instinct - but I'd imagine it's just she is still very little!

[Flumptious]

Thanks for replying.

She goes to sleep really well, usually at sevenish, sometimes earlier.She does sleep well, but thinking about it, she does wake a few times in the night to try and get in with us.

I was sure it was just that she was so little, like you say, but it's just that she's not the youngest and the others all seem to be doing ok.

I'll have a better idea later.

Thanks for putting my mind at rest for now though!

[HecateQueenOfWitches]

I'm sure she's fine but you are doing the right thing by taking her to gp.

My youngest lost all his energy. He would come home from school and flop onto the sofa and cry. He over time lost his appetite and became so thin. Then it became apparent he wasn't growing - same shoe size for a year, for example!

I couldn't get anyone to listen to me until it got to the stage where we were force-feeding him complan.

Then my husband went and shouted at gp who organised blood tests to shut us up.

They showed he was badly anaemic.

[witch6]

Does she drink lots of milk?? Couldnbe iron deficiency anaemia.....
Most likely to be normal behaviour for her and is too little for school at the moment

[SkyBluePearl]

With my smallish daughter it was just exhaustion and that was it. Infact mine was the only one in the whole class to suffer with exhaustion to such extreem - some days would be spent just sucking her thumb in the book corner. She did mornings only for the first two terms and after that she still did odd half day. Legally they don't have to be in school till the term after their 5th birthday - so if you can go at her pace and attend part time. Bed earlier and try and help her to sleep through too if you can.

[cilantro]

I was going to say make sure she's getting enough iron too. My daughter's a picky eater so we have trouble getting enough iron in her. She has trouble staying fully alert all day too which may be an age thing as well. She has the stubborn naughty side as well! I hope she'll be better by 5/6.

[spongecakelover]

My DS1 is probably roughly the same age in months as your daughter but as he's an October birthday he goes to nursery for a half day each morning. Most days he has a nap after lunch after his hectic social morning.

Also, does anyone else remember their primary school teachers making them lie down on the carpet after lunchtime? We'd choose our mats and had to take this rest up til the end of Class 2 (Year 1 now??)

Though I know none of this probably helps your situation I hope it might reassure a little...

[spongecakelover]

And of course the dietary bits. Anaemia (sp?) quite common in children their age I think.

[Bonsoir]

My DD started full time school aged 3.10 and she was shattered for the first few months. TBH lots of them were. Just make sure you don't do much outside school. It gets better quickly.

[lljkk]

I remember lying down for naps in school, that was American kindergarten so we were generally about 9 months older than the average reception-age child in the UK.

[wannabeglam]

She's very young and starting school is tough. In fact, I think the Autumn term has been tough for my son every year (now Year 3). Try getting her to bed even earlier and have extra time for winding down stories.

[Flumptious]

Thanks all.

Have been to see the teacher and we've come up with a combination of her not eating enough at lunch time (she has school meals) and waking in the night with nightmares, breaking her sleep.

Her teacher is lovely and is going to monitor her eating and let us know in a week. If anyone has any idea on how to help with the nightmares I'd be grateful!

She's come home today and fallen asleep at the table at half five. We were going for a six o'clock bedtime but she beat us to it.

Spongecakelover, I do remember napping at school. Had completely forgotten til I read that!

[ADreamOfGood]

Take her to the GP (non-urgent) just to put your mind at rest. We are having similar with our dd, but it started before september. I hope she's back to normal very soon.

[scrappydappydoo]

My dd is also extremely tired at the moment resulting in tantrums and general stroppiness. I think its just the full days as she is eating well and goes to sleep 6.30 til 6.30. I'm hoping she will adjust with time and feel a bit a an emotional punchbag