If you have a tired summer born in reception how tired is abnormal?

[Millybingbong]

Late August birthday and napped up til school time. Has always been tired.

One term in she is a mess. We don't do anything on weekends and she still is always over tired. She goes to bed 6pm until 7.30am and always needs to be woken. She droops around tired when she is out of school but is bright and getting on with it at school.

There are a few other health issues and my instincts are twitching a bit.

Can anyone offer perspective?

My son was very similar. Afternoon nap most days until he started school. Some days after school in reception he was so tired that the childminder let him sit in the pushchair on the way home and he’d fall asleep! He’s in year 3 now and is still very tired towards the end of term. If you’re concerned speak to your gp though, it’s always worth getting checked out if your instincts are telling you something’s wrong.

Get the GP to do a blood test. Could be low iron for instance. Otherwise, could you try for a nap or later wake up on weekends to catch up on sleep?

I’d be getting concerned now. First term, my summer born came home from school, put herself to bed, got up for tea (about an hour) then had a quick bath and back into bed around 6.00. But she was coping without that by this term, and she was OK on weekend mornings (though very tired in the afternoons).

My summer born struggled at first but probably by after the first half term had adjusted. Still used to get tired by Friday’s but not to that extent...... Trust your instincts!

I would definitely be concerned. I don't think that has anything to do with starting school. Mine isn't summer born (she was 4.5 when starting reception), but she was in nursery full days 9-5, much longer than the school day from 2.5. She has never been that tired and school is actually much less full on than nursery was, I think. I would raise this with your GP and see if they can try to figure out what might be going on.

She only did 2 days at nursery and they weren't long so it is a step up in activity. She does nap the weekend as a matter of course and sleep in a bit longer.

It is starting to seriously impact family life so it feels very noticeable now. I took her to the doc a few weeks ago he said low iron is rare without a cause an mentioned coeliac. I think I might follow it up

I have a 15th Aug baby that was v prem (due Oct 15th!!) and she was tiny when she went to school. Looking back she was v tired and I can remember being concerned about her - but she was't the greatest eater of school lunch etc. I found a good big breakfast, then in from school snack and drink and a good chill of about an hour or so really helped - we then did tea, bath books and bed and that was it for a good long while. She did do nursery 5 days but not particularly long days as I WAH (so 9 till 4.30 ish) and we were v close to school - think 5 mins max in car and country. Also after school club I didn't use in reception only from yr 1 - it was just too long for her. So its not unusual however you just have to change expectations. Try and introduce something to help her stamina - swimming is good as is ballet or dance.

Both mine were like this, but both had health issues. Definitely go with your instincts and get her checked.

Does she have any symptoms other than the tiredness?

Thanks - I have decided to follow it up with the doc.

Yes she has weird ppoos , joint pain, poor sleep and dreadful skin all around. She also looks pale and wan.

I've just had to carry her upstairs for a bath.

Good luck with the GP. Sounds like it could be a thyroid issue or anemia. I know from bitter experience that some GPs are reluctant to even consider conditions like that in very young children. You might have to be that parent

Coeliac or gastro (non IgE) allergies could also produce those symptoms....sounds exactly like my DC1 before diagnosis. Push hard; you're right not to ignore those symptoms (and if they think it's gastro but then she's not positive for coeliac, doesn't mean she's not non IgE allergic to gluten/dairy, for eg).

Interesting David as my lg gets tired easily and we think has a rection to soya.
She gets vomittting and ear infections. She has had knee pain too.
She struggled a lot in reception in fact this term was worse due to the cold weather. She has gotten better in year 1 but tired by the end of the terms.

We give vitamins (with omega 3) to fight off infections.
She still falls asleep in the car some weekends and we cant do many extra activities. All the parties in yr r and 1 arent great for summer borns.

I would be concerned. All kids are different. But, I would def get your child checked out. My son has started school a year early, so was 3 when he started reception or as they call it in his school MS, because it is a French school. He is in school 8:20-3:10pm and sometimes does school later if he has football or cooking that day so can finish at 4:30pm. He still sometimes manages to stay up until 8pm if we let him! He wakes 7:30am. On a good night we get him to bed by 7pm and he wakes 7am. Never naps. But loads of kids parents say their kids sleep 6 or 6:30pm so I know kids are different. But still, it would concern me if my child constantly had no energy and was tired.

My daughter napped for 2h a day until starting school.
First term I brought her home at lunch time 2 days a week. She was still v tired second term.
Some people just need more sleep.

My august born dd didn't do a full week at school until about May in reception, she was just too tried by Friday. She went to bed at 6, 6.30, and actually fell sleep face down in her dinner one evening!
Her school were very understanding, but that was 9 years ago, and i fear that may have changed.

Actually a summer born child can be part time through reception as they are not compulsory school age till sept of yr 1. Im not sure if it's a good idea in terms of friendships and keeping up with the work. Also they would then have less stamina for yr 1.

We did consider deferring her but she is smart and articulate and she really loves school.

I have considered having her off every Wednesday for example but it actually makes no difference she is equally tired by the weekend.
2 weeks off at Christmas and she napped every day. 2 days at school and she was done. She doesnt seem to bank it. That a when I started wondering if there is something else going on

I'd keep her off tomorrow and get a doctor's appointment.

Hope she's feeling a bit better soon OP.

My May child is tired and stroppy but she's not sleeping anywhere near that much, I think if she was she would be fine.

She was okay before Xmas and then the holidays seemed to ruin her stamina. So some backwards step is probably normal but it sounds like you've got a bit more going on.

Listen, it's not just that different kids needed different amounts of sleep, as some PPs have said - you're talking about joint pain, pallor, sleep probs and gastro symptoms, which definitely need further investigation (and may need some pushing from you).

@Naty probably worth looking into....

Sorry - @Naty1