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Primary education

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Original poster

Exhausted DD5. How do I help?

23 replies

EatDessertFirst · 15/12/2013 07:23

My DD started Reception in September. She adores school and behaves angelically there. I've posted before about some of her behaviour at home but battle picking has worked!

Now, I'm more concerned about her physical health. She is exhausted. The school are pretty big on Christmas which, although we aren't religious at all, I love for the tradition/inclusion etc. But the school play, Christmas dinner, Christmas party and all the bits that go with it are taking its toll.

She has been coming out of school and not speaking at all. We only just manage to persuade her to take off her uniform because I try to get two days out of a pinafore to put on nice comfortable clothes after school. She has been asking to go to bed early and falls asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow. Also, eating me out of house and home!

We try to encourage her to relax at the weekends (films have been our best friend here Blush) but with DS3 as well it can be hard especially if DP or I is working and we can't do a little something seperately for him to burn off energy.

Anyone else experiencing this? Should I be more worried or just ride it out for the last school week? How do you wise MNers help your little munchkins chillax?

Thanking you for your advice in advance.

OP posts:
Jinty64 · 15/12/2013 07:59

I would just ride it out for the last school week and see how things go. If she is eating well then there is unlikely to be anything too much wrong and it is such a busy time of year. Ds3 is usually inexhaustible but fell asleep yesterday afternoon so I think it's just that.

She will have two weeks to recuperate and if she is still over tired you could seek advice from your GP.

You could take them to soft play at the weekend. Ds could expend all his energy and yourself and dd could eat cake, drink hot chocolate and relax (never does that, oh no) or is ds3 too little to let you relax!

lljkk · 15/12/2013 08:06

Envy I've never had one who slept like that.

iloveaglassofwine · 15/12/2013 08:11

Same here op and talking to other mums, it's the same all round. We're trying to keep weekends fairly quiet - as much as you can in the run up to Christmas, with time for her to just be at home and play, draw, watch films etc. She's having plenty of early nights too.

I think it's just a case of making it through to next weekend. 2 weeks off and hopefully they'll be raring to go again.

Original poster
EatDessertFirst · 15/12/2013 08:11

Thank you Jinty. I forget how longvthe Christmas holidays are! They seem to fly by!

Soft play is a great idea. DD would want to play for a bit as well but if I go early-mid morning she's at her 'most awake' and will enjoy it rather than it being a drag. She can then sleep a bit after lunch if she wants to.

DS is an endless ball of energy. He gives me motion sickness sometimes! Luckily, he begins nursery part-time from January so that will hopefully calm him slightly.

Thanks again.

OP posts:
Original poster
EatDessertFirst · 15/12/2013 08:15

Thank you Wine.

Only four school days left!

Lljkk I am incredibly, lucky (and infinately grateful) that sleep has never been a problem with both DC. But, they are VERY early risers (5.30-6am) and DS in particular JUST NEVER STOPS!! I am often in bed just after them so I can keep up the next day!

OP posts:
iloveaglassofwine · 15/12/2013 08:20

Eat, mine are early risers too. Well, DS is and he wakes the entire house when he decides to get up. This doesn't help matters either! This phase shall pass, this phaae shall pass .

statisticsthicko · 15/12/2013 08:22

It sounds like she might also be going through a growth spurt op? Eating and sleeping loads and grumpiness are all signs in my ds that he's going have grown a couple of inches!

Original poster
EatDessertFirst · 15/12/2013 08:27

Statistics, I didn't even think of that! bad mummy! She has always been tall and really slim so I guess I didn't really notice an extra inch or two

Why do all these changes happen in clumps to our wee ones?

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TheHappyCamper · 15/12/2013 09:00

We have the same problem here too OP. We are doing the same - lots of DVDs and drawing/sticking type stuff. DD is 4.9 and in reception. We are going to try to get out for a short walk today even though it's really windy.

She has been eating loads at breakfast/lunch but then refusing to eat dinner as she is too tired, even though we eat at 5pm. She has been in bed at 6.15pm every night his week except her carol concert which was 7.15pm. She is sleeping til 8am! Shock

Spoke to her TA last week and she said they are all like it. She is running out of knees to sit them on because they are all so tired they just burst into tears at the slightest thing.

Roll on Friday Smile

Original poster
EatDessertFirst · 15/12/2013 09:13

Thanks HappyCamper.

I feel bad for our sproglets being run down but I feel better knowing we are not alone. It amazes me that summer-born little ones cope probably better than my DD with this whole school thing being almost a year younger than my DD (october born). I think she would have exploded if she was at school a year ago! I know thats a huge generalisation but IMO, with the developments DD went through from the age of 4-5, she was a totally different child. It is truly astounding that not many schools do staggered intakes. She would just not have coped well at all.

OP posts:
Badvocatyuletide · 15/12/2013 09:18

I am letting my reception age ds2 just chill out at home and if that means DVDs, cbeebies, iPad games then so be it.
We do his reading book but that's it.
Colouring, sticking, things that aren't tiring and can be put away quickly when he gets tired.
Next week not too bad, just the Xmas party and church nativity but by Friday we will all be exhausted!

lemonforyourlime · 15/12/2013 09:22

i noticed your line "she is eating you out of house and home "and wondered if she is getting enough food at the right times during the week.
ie is she eating enough school lunch ? they can be hectic times for little kids who just want to get out and play.
My daughter was very tired when first starting school and we discovered with a little digging there wasn't much lunch eating go on. We talked to her and school about slowing down / eating as much as poss etc.
I also upped her breakfast - she now has porridge, scrambled eggs, and some fruit !
Its about getting fuel at the right time - ie the start and middle of the day. It did wonders for her energy levels.

lemonforyourlime · 15/12/2013 09:23

sorry just seen your post about breakfast and lunch ! ignore me !

manechanger · 15/12/2013 09:24

ds is same and also in reception. He is dc3 and I remember others being the same. IME the more they do the more they can cope with so I don't hold back too much on after school clubs. His stamina will be much better as a result and I really want him to enjoy outside school activities. also I oftren find he is mentally but not physically tired so I think swimming and gym are good after school to tire him out properly.

But during the holidays we will definitely be having some chill out days. I also find it hard because his older siblings are out later at clubs so I struggle to give him an early night when he really should be going to bed around 7, it' more like 8 because he hears the others come in and revives.

They grow out of it but end of term for all of mine is pretty wired.

mrz · 15/12/2013 09:37

and it's been an exceptionally long first term

Damnautocorrect · 15/12/2013 09:49

Ds is the same, started in sept too. He's just pooped, most days there's a melt down about something little. There's plenty of others crying in the mornings for me to think its just general tiredness. So unfair at such a lovely time of year for them

KingscoteStaff · 15/12/2013 09:50

Our Infants Christmas show will be on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. They did a run through on Friday, by the end of which at least 10 were in tears...

I popped into Year 1 with a message at about 2.45 and 6 of them were fast asleep in the book corner!

Original poster
EatDessertFirst · 15/12/2013 09:54

You make a great point Lemon about the lunch thing. DD has never been a 'great' lunch eater. She doesn't make fuss, just doesn't eat much. Its the same at school so I do packed lunch for her just so I can monitor what she is eating.

I have upped her breakfast (cereal, toast, fruit and yoghurt) and dinner and now she has a healthy snack after school and before bed as well. Again, soooooooo lucky food itself has never been much of an issue for us.

Thank you all for your replies. Feelibg much better now. Xx

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Original poster
EatDessertFirst · 15/12/2013 09:57

Kings- now giggling and feeling guilty about giggling at the mental image of a 'pile' of four/five year olds asleep in a readibg corner. Teachers must dread this time of year!!

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 15/12/2013 09:59

My DS has also been struggling, he was awful yesterday, exhausted and teary, but also jittery and couldn't sit still to watch a film.

His teacher looked particularly harrassed on Friday morning, trying to organise them all for the Nativity, she said they are all struggling.

Fuzzymum1 · 15/12/2013 10:01

My Y2 DS is tired too, I remember in reception he was completely exhausted at the end of the autumn term, He's reaching the point of exhaustion again but is coping well with it at the moment. We're trying to limit what we do at weekends, keeping bedtime prompt etc and basically just trying to stop him tipping of the knife edge he seems to be walking at the moment.
All the the children in school are shattered - we have so much more bickering in the Yr/Y1 class where I work, they are all so much less tolerant than normal at the moment.

RueDeWakening · 15/12/2013 10:05

DD (now year 2) was like this in reception too. We started giving her a (seven seas I think) vitamin supplement that included iron, which definitely helped - she refuses to eat meat and most green veg which doesn't help! It took about a week to notice a difference in her.

Rockinhippy · 15/12/2013 10:05

I had this with mine too, though in her case it did turn out to be a symptom of a health condition that didn't become obvious until she was older & the hormones started to kick in making it worse & we then ended up with injury after injury & grilling s in A&E - thank most of her accidents happened at YC, School etc -

Mine has now been diagnosed with Joint Hypermobilty Syndrome (aka Ehlers Danlos) unlikely this will be your DD too, but worth baring in mind if she suffers with any stomach trouble & later accidents.

We gave my DD a super food supplement called Spirulina its packed full of vitamins, vitamins & more iron than liver etc, it also has immune boosting enzymes, so is effectively a super tonic & is safe for DCs this age & even younger - we gave it to ours from this age onwards & it helped her a LOT, she went from pale, holes for eyes sleepy head, to her rosy cheeked bubbly self witching a week

if its of interest shout & I will link to info & the easier brand to give young DCs - can't using this gadget

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