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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Overtired behaviour

10 replies

PoppetUK · 01/03/2011 19:21

Hi all,

My DD has come home from school today and had the most horrible meltdown she's had in ages. I think she's very tired after a couple of unsettled nights whilst away.

I'm just wondering if anyone else out there has 6 year olds that are similar when overtired. She cries at the drop of the hat and then when I have to boundary her she gets incredibly angry but the boundaries have to come because she gets to a point where you can't reason with her. Enough chances tonight and in the end of put her to bed because every task was too much. She wasn't best pleased that I just stopped trying to cajole her through it all and just went for "it's bed time" but it was madness trying to battle through. This only happens once every 4-6 months but I just wonder if anyone else gets this.

Thanks in advance.

Poppet

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

LindyHemming · 01/03/2011 19:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

PoppetUK · 01/03/2011 20:14

Thanks Euphemia. One of DD's activities has come to an end and she asked on Monday to stop another. It will leave her with one after school and one on the weekend which I think is about right. I think she's also got to find a way of relaxing away from her brothers when she gets home in the evening. I know she asked to do the activities last term because her toddler brother was being quite demanding but he's a bit more settled after school these days and she did say she wanted some more time at home. I think it will do us all some good to take some time away from the rushing about after school.

Let's hope a good nights sleep sorts her out :)

OP posts:

TheClaw · 01/03/2011 20:31

Hi Poppet

I could have written your post tonight!

One of my 6yr olds does this every few weeks. I was just thinking that she'd been so good recentley and tonight has had an awful meltdown, cheeky behaviour and downright stoppiness. I had to send her to her room in the end also.

It's only Tuesday following half-term - aahhh!!!!

She only does Rainbows once a week so she shouldn't be too tired. I just think its the stresses of year 1 and the fact she'd rather be playing!

Hopefully a good sleep and tomorrow will be better. I feel your pain though!

TheClaw · 01/03/2011 20:32

should have read - Stroppiness (note to self - preview post!)

Original poster

PoppetUK · 01/03/2011 20:36

I'm not alone!!!!! Phew. We had a very busy half term (perhaps too busy!)

I find it very hard when she is in this space and I've got the others to deal with. Unfortunately I'd had a sod of a day with the toddler who wasn't co-operating so it just felt horrible. Glad today is over! (well we might get the overtired night wakings!).

Thanks for the posts.

Poppet

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Curlybrunette · 01/03/2011 20:40

My ds is 5 this month, he's in reception and he's been knackered since about October! He wasn't too bad the first few weeks at school but then we noticed just what you described, stroppy, whingy, shouting and being really unkind to his little brother. It got really bad before Christmas, but then the break sorted him out a bit, and again before this half term so I've let him chill and watch lots more tv then I normally would just to let him recover a bit.

Something I have started doing is giving him a snack and a drink straight after school. He doesn't say he's hungry or thirsty and could easily wait until we have dinner at 5.45pm ish but it does seem to help his mood a bit if he has a snack. Maybe a blood sugar thing? Also at school they drink water, which he really isn't so keen on so I wonder how much he actually drinks during the day...

Original poster

PoppetUK · 01/03/2011 20:48

Definitely we go with the blood sugar thing. Just emptied the lunch boxes and she hasn't eaten much grrrrrrrr. She must have been going on fresh air. I've missed all her cues actually looking at it. Picked her up from school and she said she had struggled in the last less, the emotions, the lunch box, the white pasty complexion. I would have been better giving her a chocolate hit than it reaching what it did. :( Certainly will be watching out for it tomorrow.

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Original poster

PoppetUK · 01/03/2011 20:49

She's also woke up after an hour down asking for a drink and seemed very very thirsty! Poor sod

OP posts:

IntotheNittyGritty · 01/03/2011 21:04

Lack of water makes a huge difference to children but we tend not to notice it. Kids dont drink enough at school and over time this does make a difference to their behaviour.

Hope she settles down again soon.

Original poster

PoppetUK · 01/03/2011 22:30

When we were abroad and the temp hit 35 and above and the kids had been at school and the air con wasn't doing much I'd pick them up with a hydrolyte icy pole because it would make a huge difference. They used to have there drinks available all day long within the classroom but over here they only have the water coolers which aren't so readily available. I think I might start back with some juice for lunch in a carton because I know she'll drink all of that. I guess sometimes we assume they know how to read all their own cues but not all kids are good at this.

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