Year 2 DS very sad at the moment - how to help?

[AperolSpitz]

Anyone else had a very sad year 2 child at the end of the summer term?

He is finding it hard to get to sleep with the heat and is tired as ever at the end of term but he's getting distressed over things and it all seems to be about loss.

This week he's cried over toys that his younger sibling can't find, a friend of mine that died four years ago, his grandad who died three years ago. a blanket he couldn't find that he used to have as a baby (but didn't seem too attached to at the time)...

Logically, it seems it's tiredness plus the end of the infants, of a part of his childhood that must be stirring this up but I'm finding it really hard to know what to say to help him when I can't "fix" any of these things or bring them back (either objects or people!).

Ahh bless him!

Just carry on comforting him. Listen to any concerns he's got about moving on and acknowledge that it is upsetting/scary/sad to say goodbye/have things change. Help him to say a proper goodbye to year 2/infants/his teacher. Maybe he could make a photo book of his time in the infants? Make a card/buy a present for his teacher etc. Then focus on what will be so wonderful about the summer and about year 3.

The most important thing you can do is encourage him to express his feelings and for you to really listen. Ask him questions about why certain things are making him sad, and then ask him how he thinks he could help himself feel better. Can you spend some one on one time with him out of the house? Do you think he would benefit from keeping a journal?

Thanks both. Listening whilst he's so upset is so hard - especially when he seems to be getting more and more upset when I know he also needs to get to sleep but I have to sit it out. One to one time is a really good point too - his siblings are younger twins and they can dominate family life. When I read your reponses this morning I felt quite weepy remembering he lost "me" in that transition when they arrived. Could be related :-(

Creating something about the Infants or a record of Infants/ creating a journal is a really good idea too, thanks. He has a diary I gave him (just an old workbook) that I can encourage him to write in again.

His fixation last night was on this blanket. He's determined to hunt the house for it today. I'm not sure where it is. He has a tendency to hoard in that he doesn't like throwing or giving anything away (siblings are amazing at this which distresses him even more - his brother suggested we give his old scooter to charity which I was thrilled and proud of, he was horrified). I'm sure if I let him search he would soon be distracted by something he found so again, maybe I need to sit that out too...

I would regress the bedtime routine, bath time with toys and perhaps from story books from an earlier age.

Interesting littlebillie thank you. He crawled into bed with me this morning for the first time in a very long time so that may be a help too.