Day 2 and reception age DS already too tired

[ilovetosleep]

He's a June baby so pretty young. Was napping up until about 2 months ago. 2 full days at school and he's turned into a monster :( Falling asleep on the way home (we walk!) crying over every little thing, stropping at the dinner table (usually eats so well), tears at bedtime (6.30pm). Its painful for everyone! He skips out at 3pm and says he's had a great time but it only lasts 5 mins. I know he'll get used to it but is this normal? He's my first obviously! he only started yesterday and I don't see how he could cope with a full week next week. I just want him to be happy :(

It's pretty common, yes.

My eldest was tired at least to half term. Give it a week or two and if it's getting worse, or not the slightest bit better, you could think about asking for a moee formal chat with the teacher

would it be possible for him to go part time?

all the tachers at Dds schopl and I'm sure all the reception teachers on here have said that they are used to kids being exhausted and don't bat an eyelid if one decides to have a doze in the book corner.

if it's really really bad and you don't feel he is coping ask about part time. no one has to be full time til January at Dds school

DS1's birthday is at the end of July, and several times during his first month at school he fell asleep in the reading corner and they left him to have a nap.

If you feel he is really beyond, then perhaps you could take him out at lunchtime on Wednesday and come home for a lazy afternoon? He will get used to it pretty fast but it is a tough patch to go through.

A couple of the infant teachers told me this is the worst term. The 'babies' are absolutely shattered come half term. My eldest two are 6 and 8, and even they're tired already! It does get easier.

DD was the same at first (she also loved to nap and I'd weaned her off napping over the summer. She'd fall asleep at home in the afternoon while playing/eating her tea etc . She'd adjusted well after about 2 weeks into term though. I'd say it's early days and all so new and stimulating for him, give him some time to adjust to the new routine/pace

I'm the teacher and I'm tired too.

Thanks for the replies. Glad to hear it is relatively normal. I just hate the bad behaviour the tiredness brings out in him. He's just unreasonable and miserable. He's not really the kind of kid to fall asleep in the book corner unfortunately, he stores up all his tiredness and emotions for home time...

DS1 is a July baby and he was exhausted for the first month or so, despite having been in pre-school 8-6 four days a week in the run-up to starting school.

It does get better!

Suggestions:

Give him a snack to eat on the way home to boost energy levels until you get there and he can collapse.

If it is a long way, how about a micro scooter to either speed him up or for you to pull him along with.

Bring bedtime forward even earlier than you have.

Yes to a scooter and a snack! My October pfb was tired starting school.

Even now at 6, Dd is irritable when tired after school. She'll play with her brothers then suddenly have s melt-down! It's a struggle getting her to read her books 6-9 of them over the week).

Had swimming tonight and she goes up a class, so we've got Saturday morning instead. I'm Glad we won't have the rush after school for a while now.

I find easy tea helps, nothing too elaborate, even soup / beans in toast once a week, they actually think that's a treat

Could you use a buggy on the way home and let him have a 10min power nap.
I do.that with mine when he is like that.

My son is the eldest in his year and he was the same, Indont think it's any bearing on your lo being at the younger end of the scale. He used to go to bed at 5 pm for the first two terms but then this gradually returned to the normal bedtime. Tiredness affects all of them, not just the youngest, it's a huge change and adjustment for them all.

Oh yh if mine is just close to melt down I get him to help cook so he eats his dinner while I'm.cooking that way he can chill out over dinner time and go.up a bit early.

This was us two years ago! My ds is august-born and, like yours, was napping until about 3 months before. He was exactly as you describe.

Aside from bucketload of patience, I found that a snack as soon as he came out of school helped. A banana in the school playground helped enormously. I brought tea forward and, for at least the first half term, bath and bed too.

I also started an 'I can do it' sticker chart. I didn't want to go down the whole reward/consequences route, but cuddles and the odd sticker did help us come through the worst of the meltdowns and to focus on the great things that had happened that day.

I do remember as we approached the first half term that ds was practically on his knees. Our lovely early years teacher suggested I picked him up at lunchtime that day. Is that an option for you on the tough days?

As someone one said on my own thread I started on this very subject, "this too shall pass". It does! Good luck.

My ds is exactly the same, loving school, comes out smiling and then bam 5 minutes later the tears and bad behaviour starts.

I have moved his bedtime to half an hour earlier and dug out his old sticker chart, both are helping..marginally.