Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Children getting overexcited and over tired in the run up to Christmas

30 replies

TinyTeachr · 15/12/2024 15:44

Advice very welcome, or just commiserations!

My 4yo twins are behaving so badly at the moment. We just want out to a Carol service (which I'd been really looking forward to) and had to leave before the first carol.

They wouldn't sit still, they wouldn't stay quiet, they kept trying to climb into the law in front or roll under it. Just a total disaster really.

They aren't perfect at the best of times, but this week they have really taken the biscuit!!!! They were naughty at their preschool nativity (although in fairnessthe while class were pretty bad), naughty at the end of term service, all over the place at church this morning. We're having tantrums over minor things like getting dressed and putting shoes on. Bedtime last night was a fiasco and it never usually is.

Is this just over stimulation and too much excitement? Or are we doing something terribly wrong?I remember my eldest being tired and a bit emotional in the run up to Christmas,but nothing like this!

They are having a few minutes of "quiet time" while we decide what to do. Eldest is merrily tucking into some chocolate coins without them (was going to be a shared great after the service).

It feels like we miss a lot of things as their behaviour is poor. At this age my eldest could be trusted to behave at a cafe or similar, or go to a matinee performance of a panto. There's just no way to take our boys to these things and I'm irritated by how much that restricts Christmas traditions. It feels like we can't go to anything that isn't a playground or soft play. It's so frustrating!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Nothelpingishard · 16/12/2024 13:10

TeenToTwenties · 15/12/2024 16:14

We never put the tree or other decorations up before the last day of term.
All too much. DD is 20 now, we have some lights up but still no decorations or tree before college finishes next week.

That's a good idea. We put decorations up for the 1st advent this year as we had a party, and bought the tree a few days ago. It was too early. There's still so much time to go! I think for future I might see decorating a bit like an advent calendar, put up a decoration each day until Christmas with one of those things being the tree but no more than a week in advance. It's a long time to wait when you're little. I was speaking about something which happened last weekend with my kids (as in a week ago, not yesterday) and they were reminiscing like it was months ago!!

MindatWork · 16/12/2024 13:18

So they're only just 4 then OP, if they're not at school yet? I think your expectations of them sitting nicely and quietly are wildly high. I helped out in DD's reception class in the summer term last year (so most of them already 5 with some coming up for 6 already) and it was utter chaos.

Unless you're planning on sending them to a super strict primary school I really wouldn't worry about how they will cope with assemblies etc. Are they in any sort of childcare setting now? DD's whole last year of nursery was basically preparing her for the transition to school - even down to sitting cross-legged and answering the register, etc.

Hope you have a lovely Christmas - we only have 6 yo DD and we're struggling enough with her at the moment. Between the bloody elf, advent calendars, nativities, christingle, school party and all the rest of it, she's hanging by a thread already!

Dayfurrrrit · 16/12/2024 13:25

Yes had the exact same when my eldest was that age. It’s too much, the constant excitement of Christmas for (at least) 25 days before it actually happens is too much for some kids. DD behaviour would massively descend in December because of it, now we keep it christmassy but low key. Not to mention they’re also always a bit under the weather and approaching the end of a school term so knackered. One Santa trip at the Xmas market, some Xmas colouring or baking, go for a nice walk. They still do a Xmas party at school and at all their hobbies, and at DH work (tbh it’s too much we pull out of some) At 6.5 now she can handle it all better but we also have a 4 yr old whose been ill for weeks and not on good form. I honestly think it’s too much for lots of kids and at this time of year less is definitely more.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

4 year olds Events & celebrations Families

Comff · 16/12/2024 13:43

TinyTeachr · 15/12/2024 23:27

Ok, seems like a bit of overexcitement is typical and I was also too ambitious with my choice of activity.

I think as my eldest went to a Carol service at that age and behaved fairly well (fidgetting and humming and pointing at things but basically behaving) I thought it would work. Bit stupidly simplistic on reflection - she was one child with two adults, and had always been quite compliant. My twins are a rather different kettle of fish and it's now 4 children to two adults instead of one.

Will revise things I had planned over the next two weeks taking that into account!

I guess I wanted to avoid divide and conquer because it almost always works out with me being the one to stay at home and do bedtimes. Basically because DH sucks at settling the twins and it always goes horribly wrong. Rather irritating - when eldest was this age DH was totally responsible for bath and bedgime most nights but sadly the twins defeat him....

We definitely need to get their behaviour better. Although I accept this was too much to expect, they start school next September and do need to be able to sit for assemblies etc, which at the moment seems..... unlikely. But perhaps we'll aim for a quiet Christmas and tackle that a bit more in the New Year.

I would divide and conquer the twins as well. They’re two separate people after all.

eg DH has twin plus baby or eldest at home, you have baby or eldest plus other twin out. Then vice versa.

Bonus is then DH only has one twin at a time.

boulevardofbrokendreamss · 16/12/2024 13:45

When my twins were in yR at christmas there were kids bursting into tears all over the place. It's too much for them. Complete overload, tired from being at school, most of them have some kind of low level germ etc etc

Flip

1 2