When did your reception dc stop being so ridiculously tired...

[littleoaktree]

So ds1 started reception this year, has done full days since the start and goes to after school care 3 days a week (he'd happily go more and doesn't want to come home ). He sleeps 12 hours at night but is still so tired that he's crying in the morning saying he's too tired and crying in the afternoon saying he should be sleeping (at 3.30pm).

He loves school and has settled really well but his behaviour really deteriorates when he's tired and so I wondered when does it get better? I naively thought after a couple of weeks he'd be used to it (he's been at nursery 3 or 4 days a week since 12mo so used to long days)

What's your experience been?

One year. Really. And that's with nothing after school apart from swimming and school part time. Got progressively better in Year One. By Year Two hardy enough to do after school activities....

Well, my DC1 had also been in nursery since being a baby so I also expected all to be well....and the tiredness continued and continued. In the end I sought medical advice and there ended up being a medical reason for it.

This term is especially tiring, as they get used to their new surroundings and classmates and ways of doing things. Even moreso after half-term because the clocks change and then you have the mad run-up to Christmas (nativity!).

Things did settle down a little for us in the second term, around Feb I suppose. So if you are still seeing the tiredness next term, it might be worth going to your GP.

P.S. there is a good reason why some schools don't open up after-school activities to Reception-year children at all!

One year here too.

DD was in 4 days f/t nursery before she started reception, so i assumed she'd adapt quite easily. But the extra concentration required (albeit play-based) really tired her out. She went from 7pm bedtime to 6.30. She still goes to bed 6.30 one year later.

I avoided mid-week playdates and after school activities until the Jan.

A snack when I pick her up from school helps.

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Ds3 is really struggling in Reception, he's a nightmare at home. He's clearly shattered but won't go to bed until 8 with all the arguing he does. Ds2 & Ds1 were very tired until half term, and just tired until Xmas when they got ill! Dd (twin to ds3) is just bouncy all day, gets up earlier too. Have noticed the difference with ds2 now he's in year 2. The Christmas term is a killer for small dc

It got better by Easter, but now we're into year one and very tired again. Bed at 5.45 towards end of the week or the behaviour gets whingy and stubborn. Snacks of carby type help on the way home.

Were at the same stage as you, but have found a weekend snooze has helped things. So we try to plan in one home based afternoon at the weekend - cinema afternoon, lots of books etc, so he can drop off if wanted.
Bedtime has move forward 15-30 mins.

For my ds, September-born, it was the first half-term that was a real killer. She was still pretty tired up until Christmas and got a lot of nasty bugs. After that it seemed to calm down and she was OK doing a few things after school. Hope it eases for you soon OP!

it is interesting how many people find a child who did full days at nursery still finds the change to school heavy going.

We don't do any afterschool activities (Yr1 child does rainbows which she started in reception but reception child does nothing yet) and I think that gives the wind down time they need after school.

How long it takes them to adapt to it is a how long is a piece of string question. Some of them have no problems from day one and continue doing activities every day all the way through, others take until Yr2 to get used to it.

I would just try and give him an extra half hour sleep if possible. He probably likes the after school club because it will be fun and he doesn't have to think about it if that makes sense but he probably just needs some down time. lots of other kids around can be exhausting.

January. And the run-up to Christmas is a nightmare. Sorry!

Oh no! This is not reassuring.... Really a whole year of this?

Sadly after school care is necessary on the days I work - it's quite low key though, they play board games/do drawing/reading etc.

He already goes to bed 6pm days I don't work, 6.45 days I do work and has (lots of) food after school - he's starving at the moment - I guess that's normal too?

Maybe I'll have to try bringing bedtime even earlier when I can.

My DC didn't find starting school hard but got progressively tireder towards the end of each half term (the worst being before Christmas).

I found the same pattern repeats - though the length of time they are tired for decreases as they get older (the week or 2 before Christmas being very hard every year).

The second term was better. But then it all went to pot again when she started Year 1 - in fact that was worse. She is now Year 3 and she is tired, but it is less horrendous this year. She did one after school thing in reception and Year 1.

DD (now Y1) was exhausted for pretty much all of Reception (and she did no after school care at all). Sorry - not what you wanted to hear! She did have better days and worse days, but was frequently completely wiped out by the time we got home and needed to completely zonk in front of the TV. Actually, I'd say playing board games, drawing and reading are still quite tiring for a Reception-aged DC!

We only did one after school activity a week - swimming - and no regular paid-for activities at weekends. And hardly any playdates as they'd both be too tired and wind each other up!

Her behaviour was awful too. And also at weekends....

I think you just have to sit it out. If he's doing after school club three times a week then make sure he doesn't do anything on the other two days. You're already doing snacks after school, early bed time - no other suggestions I'm afraid!

She was quite tired for the first couple of weeks of Y1 but I have been very pleasantly surprised recently as she seems to be ok and her behaviour is much much better than it has been.

Christmas for dd1, dd2 just didn't get tired much to the envy of other parents and despite doing 2 clubs a week from Sept. I have little doubt that ds will wipe away any smugness. He will be nearly 5 when he starts but still likes a little doze after nursery once or twice a week.