Parenting 5yo is such a battle

[CoconutSty]

DC started reception in September. Nothing is going right at the moment. Picky eating, toilet accidents, boundary-pushing, separation anxiety going into school, back to back illnesses, social anxiety, you name it. I'm absolutely fed up of it all and have nothing left to give. Can anyone relate? 😔

I feel your pain. DS is 5.5 and in year 1, I've had a year of everything you've described already and it's showing no signs of letting up. He's on a waiting list for social communication difficulties so that adds another level of shit to the pan BUT he has made amazing progress and the school do so much for him, I can't sign their praises enough. I hope your school are giving you some support, for the separation/social anxiety if nothing else 💐

Sorry you're going through it all too 😔 I'm glad your school is helping. I think I need to have a frank conversation with ours about it because I genuinely don't know how we fix this. If it was just a couple of those things it wouldn't feel so daunting, but it's everything!! Feel like such an inadequate patient 😢

Parent, not patient! Although at this rate it's only a matter of time, lol.

Hello! My DS has just turned 6, he is in year 1. We have had most of what you describe for the entirety of reception year. The first few weeks of year 1 was more of the same but it has gradually improved over the last month and since half term there has been a real change in him. He almost didn't get his Good Level of Development at the end of reception because of his self regulation but that's really improved. There were many days in reception we were late because we couldn't get him out of the house, or out of the car at school, or through the classroom door. He ran off several times. He hit other children. He hid in the classroom at break time. He flew into a rage on pickup for what felt like any reason he could find. It was awful and I often arrived at work in tears.

A few things did help. Some of his behaviour was sensory seeking so we found ways for him to release energy and get sensory input before school. We got boxing gloves and a punch bag which has really helped him. We use a visual timetable before school and have a transitional object from home to car (for us, he picks a book and a piece of fruit the journey) We brought bedtime forward by an hour. He wakes earlier, but that means he's fresher and has more time in the morning so isn't as rushed. We arranged park time after school with kids in his class to build relationships there (he didn't make a single friend in reception, but he has started playing with other kids at school in the last few weeks!)
Hang in there. Do talk to school. Nothing happened for my DS until I started really pressing them because there was a high level of need in the class and he wasn't the biggest fish to fry. He was also achieving academically so wasn't a huge problem for them.

Also... And most importantly... You are not an inadequate parent!