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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

Anyones reception age child NOT "exhausted and ready for bed by 6pm" but totally the opposite!!

31 replies

minxofmancunia · 03/10/2011 19:35

The only time dd seems really tired is on a Sunday night after a weekend with us, it's not like we go walking up Snowdon or anything just mooch about doing our thing, walks, parties, friends, museums, park, biked etc.

I got sick of the amount I was told how "tired" she would be on starting school....she's not. She's full of beans.

I put her to bed at 7.15 the other night as i thought she must be tired, everyone says so. She was up raring to go at 6am, unacceptable for us so bedtime was put back to 8pm and she woke at 7.30 as usual.

the only thing I can put it down too is excitement maybe? Or not being outside as much as she would be with us?

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Original poster

minxofmancunia · 03/10/2011 19:35

Excuse typos, this is such a shit keyboard!!

OP posts:

babycham42 · 03/10/2011 19:39

Mine weren"t exhausted either when they started school.

I put it down to the fact that they"d been in nursery/childcare since tiny while I"m at work so have always been used to an active structured sociable day.

SuePurblybilt · 03/10/2011 19:40

Yup. Home at 4, then biking madly round park, playing high energy games with a brief break for dinner and is still jumping out of bed with feeble excuses now. She's not fallen asleep before 8.45/9pm since starting Reception (bedtime is and was 7.30, latest).

CandiceMariePratt · 03/10/2011 19:40

My 4 year old is still running around the garden even though it is dark out. She will be up and full of beans at 6.30 tomorrow morning too.

MrsVoltar · 03/10/2011 19:41

You perhaps just have a lively energetic child
Had been told same about my DS when he started school last year, he is never tired, except maybe when trying to get him out of bed for school some days
But, after school, racing about.

kickingking · 03/10/2011 19:41

It sounds like she is just used to a stimulating environment already

Mine also just started reception and is not especially tired. He's always been a good sleeper and sleeps 7.30- 7ish still but is not 'exhausted' like some children apparently are.

He had been used to doing two nine hours days at nursery and we keep him pretty busy at home as well. He's now doing breakfast club and after school club two days a week and is managing that fine as well.

spottypancake · 03/10/2011 19:42

My DS is in Y1 now, but when he was in YR, he went to bed at 8.30pm each night, never getting tired. Ever. Now, Y1 is more tiring so he has just gone to bed at 7.40pm. Some children don't sleep much!

3duracellbunnies · 03/10/2011 20:13

Well mine have never embraced the concept of sleep much. Dd2 is our lark, she goes to bed fairly easily about 7:30 but is still getting up at 6; and tells me that she has enough energy to last for the whole of reception. We have a hectic afterschool schedule too with ballet and swimming for her, and another dance class and rainbows drop offs for dd1. If anything it is dd1 who is suffering more, but she often isn't asleep until 9ish. Dd2 only did 3 x 3hr sessions last year, but we kept ourselves busy the rest of the time. Everyone asked how she would cope with the massive increase, perfectly fine it appears, and we had fun in our time together.

peeriebear · 03/10/2011 20:15

DD2 has just started Reception and is now complaining it's time to go to bed. She is as full of beans as this morning!

StealthPolarBear · 03/10/2011 20:17

Yes, no tiredness here. MIL is surpsied, having issued dire warnings about how he would be exhausted at 3.15!

LittleDeerandMe · 03/10/2011 20:28

ds is 4 and just started school. He has just dropped off to sleep this minute. Today he had school, after which we went straight to swimming, following that we went on a playdate. He still fights going to bed every night, the same as he did before he started school. We also had people saying he'd be tired. He never is!

ceebeegeebies · 03/10/2011 20:34

DS1 is now in Yr1 - he never did the 'exhausted' thing either when he started school which was a shame as I was quite looking forward to that part of him starting school

He had been in full days at nursery 4 days a week since he was a baby so it probably wasn't such a shock to him.

He goes to bed at 8pm and is usually reasonably tired by then and will go straight to sleep - he wakes up some time between 6.30 and 7 most mornings raring to go.

I guess some children just aren't that tired - same as adults I guess. I love my sleep and will often sneak off for a nap at weekends whereas DH just doesn't need or want sleep that much!

TheBolter · 03/10/2011 20:35

Neither of my two seem to suffer from the overwhelming 'tiredness' that other children seem to. It was no exception when they started school.

Gertiegoolash · 03/10/2011 20:40

DD has just started Reception and yep also full of beans ALL the time.
she has just gone to bed but I can hear her still pottering about in her room. She has already been used to full time nursery so I don't know if this is the reason but tbh she stopped having daytime naps not long after turning 1 so she's always been full of energy. I wish I was! she wears me out sometimes

Elibean · 03/10/2011 20:52

dd2 never sleeps before 8pm anyway (gets up 7-7.15, perfect for us) and her sleep hasn't changed. She is definitely emotionally tired though - occasional meltdowns let me know that - but not till after the middle of the week.

Her sister, OTOH, used to be knackered by the end of a Reception day - she's just a different energy-level default setting.

I think they actually get less physical exercise at school than they do at home - but its tiring in a different way. Hence possibility of bouncing off walls with physical energy, but possible other signs of tiredness along the lines of tantrums/tears/moods etc. Or in dd's case, a huge need to change her clothes ten times to compensate for uniform wearing

LittleDeerandMe · 03/10/2011 20:52

Gertie, ds also stopped all naps early, at about 18 months.

Ds also went to a childminder several days a week for years, so perhaps kids who are used to being out of the house alot do not experience this added tiredness when they start school.

Meglet · 03/10/2011 20:55

yup, mine too. Not desperate to get to bed, although he settles down by 7:30-ish. But I often hear him happily playing from 6am onwards.

He used to do long days at nursery, school is a short day in comparison.

ceebeegeebies · 03/10/2011 21:01

Elibean I am fully expecting DS2 to be one of those children that are exhausted after school - as you say, different energy-levels.

DS2 willingly goes to bed at 7.15, would still be napping during the day (which I would encourage if it didn't affect his bedtime ) and will fall asleep at the drop of a hat in the car...I think he takes after me

I also think it might also be affected by their willingness to change - maybe those that do not like change find it more tiring to have to adjust to new routines etc whereas children like DS1 who happily throw themselves into new situations do not use as much emotional energy??

purits · 03/10/2011 21:03

Anyone spotting a pattern?
Another WOHM here: my two never suffered from exhaustion despite a long day (wrap-around care) and then after school activities.

Tiggles · 03/10/2011 21:34

Sorry to break the pattern but I was a SAHM but just gone back to full time work so DS went from his free 2.5hr nursery place to breakfast club, school, afterschool club. And he is not exhausted either :)

Ragwort · 03/10/2011 21:41

Another SAHM whose DS was/is never 'exhausted' - he always went to bed promptly at 7pm because we were strict - but I genuinely never see him very tired. Makes me laugh when I hear how 'tired' children get towards the end of term etc (I wish). He is incredibly active and sporty as well ! I can see that I will soon be going to bed before my DS.

Ragwort · 03/10/2011 21:42

PS - we did climb Snowdon when he was 7 - that didn't even wear him out.

ceebeegeebies · 03/10/2011 21:42

Ragwort oh yes, I also longed for the tiredness as the end of term approached but that has never happened either

Mum1369 · 03/10/2011 21:50

When my ds1 started reception he was always full of beans for literally HOURS after school. I couldn't understand it and mentioned casually to the teacher that he was much more lively than usual after starting school...at which point she said ' oh yes we let them nap after lunch and he always goes fast to sleep..ha ha'
WHAT?!!!!!!! Literally could not believe it!

dixiechick1975 · 03/10/2011 22:15

No not tired after reception but yr 1 has been a different story.

I put this down to DD having a 7 week holiday before yr 1 (reception she left nursery friday and started reception week after and the level of concentration required yr1)

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