Anyone else’s Year 2 got no stamina?

[TiredChild]

She’s 6, not 7 until end of July so that might be why.

But it’s like we’re in the first term of Reception. She’s so grumpy after school, refuses to eat, often asks to go to bed at 5.15pm, and is usually asleep pretty quickly. Sleeps until 6.30pm.

Just had parents evening for this term and her teachers said she’s so exhausted by 2pm, her speech regresses (she didn’t say a word until she was 3). She did have covid over Christmas Holidays but she was the same last term before she had covid as well.

Everyone says by Year 2 the time after school is the best, and yet mines still sleeping like she’s in Reception. She's fine in holidays and often stays up until a more normal time (7.30ish)

Basically is anyone elses year 2 the same? Or should I be worried and taking her to the GP?

6.30am that should be

Not mine but Dsis has a year 2, who is the same. She has had the same thoughts about GP etc, she reckons because of the (COVID) disruption they never got their "school legs".

what's her diet like?
has she had covid?
what's her pallor like?
does she need to get up at 6:30?

tbh it seems like a visit to the gp is warranted.

We have this. Year 3 and post Covid.

Most of the class caught Covid and most of the class are sleepy after lunch (The Covid outbreak was in November)

Aw poor little mite! I have a year 2 ds who can easily lose energy if he doesn’t eat enough. School dinners were a problem as some he liked and some he didn’t. If he doesn’t eat well at lunch he can be shattered later on. We now pick and choose the dinners and send him with a packed lunch on the other days. Giving him protein rich snacks like full fat Greek yogurt or cheese after school helps too. Plus bananas.

If you are worried though I’m sure a chat with your gp would help.

@purplesequins

what's her diet like? has she had covid? what's her pallor like? does she need to get up at 6:30?

tbh it seems like a visit to the gp is warranted.

Whats her diet like?

I'd say pretty good, she eats most things and likes vegetables

*Has she had covid?"

Yes over Christmas Holidays but she was this tired before having covid

what's her pallor like?

She seems a normal colour to me, she's always been very pale skinned anyway

does she need to get up at 6:30?

Yes, I'm a single parent so she's in breakfast club or with my mum every day due to work.

Does she have any toilet/tummy issues? The reason I ask is that my DS was a bit similar and we are awaiting the result of a coeliac screen. So many children with it go undiagnosed.

@DrCoconut

Does she have any toilet/tummy issues? The reason I ask is that my DS was a bit similar and we are awaiting the result of a coeliac screen. So many children with it go undiagnosed.

@DrCoconut Not as far as I know, she seems to go to the toilet a normal amount and doesn't complain of pain.

Try supplements if you don't already - mine (a bit older) turned out to be low on iron and Vitamin D. I looked for kids mulitvitamins etc with the highest doses of those.

Sounds like the early start isn’t suiting her. Not sure what you can do about that. She manages 8 hours of being awake and is then tired. It’s like she needs a lunchtime nap. I don’t think this can be resolved until she can sleep for longer in the morning. I assume she doesn’t wake early in the holidays so I suspect her daily routine is the issue. It doesn’t suit her. It suits you.

I know it’s hard in the week when they are at school all day but try to make sure you get her outside as much as possible at the weekend, OK there’s not much sun around in January but we need to make sure we get as much of it as we can. As someone up thread mentioned supplements in the winter can help support vitamin d intake. Another deficiency which can lead to tiredness is iron so lots of leafy green vegetables, beans, raisins and dried apricots are easy ways to make sure she is getting enough, to make the most of vitamin d you need to have magnesium and zinc in your diet, so almonds and cashews are extra ways to increase consumption.

@TizerorFizz

Sounds like the early start isn’t suiting her. Not sure what you can do about that. She manages 8 hours of being awake and is then tired. It’s like she needs a lunchtime nap. I don’t think this can be resolved until she can sleep for longer in the morning. I assume she doesn’t wake early in the holidays so I suspect her daily routine is the issue. It doesn’t suit her. It suits you.

@TizerorFizz She wakes herself up naturally at 7.30am in the holidays but we have to be up even earlier if she goes to holiday club (up at 5.45am) because it's further away than school.

She was very reluctant to give up her nap and was still having them 2-3 times a week when in Preschool Nursery, and her Reception teacher said she would sometimes find her asleep in the book corner after lunch. In Holidays when not at holiday club she'll often have a nap around 12.30/1 until 2/2.30 but then stays up until 7.30pm.

It's like she's never got out of the toddler sleep pattern.

@viques

I know it’s hard in the week when they are at school all day but try to make sure you get her outside as much as possible at the weekend, OK there’s not much sun around in January but we need to make sure we get as much of it as we can. As someone up thread mentioned supplements in the winter can help support vitamin d intake. Another deficiency which can lead to tiredness is iron so lots of leafy green vegetables, beans, raisins and dried apricots are easy ways to make sure she is getting enough, to make the most of vitamin d you need to have magnesium and zinc in your diet, so almonds and cashews are extra ways to increase consumption.

@viques we walk everywhere, school has them outside 3 or 4 times a day, they do Forest School once a week at school. I easily clock up 10-15k steps per day in term time, but she still just wants to sleep when home.

I know this won't be popular but what time does she finish school?

At that age, I finished at 1. Just today, mum and I were saying we think little ones have long hours these days. For me and my sister, the sensory. overload would have been too much, hence why she's sleeping.

My sister used to nap when she first began a full school day.

Mine is nothing like that. I just picked him up from teatime club and he's tearing up and down the street on a scooter with the other teatimers.

If she's getting about 12 hours sleep and is still tired I would speak to her GP to rule out anaemia etc.

@EmmaH2022

I know this won't be popular but what time does she finish school?

At that age, I finished at 1. Just today, mum and I were saying we think little ones have long hours these days. For me and my sister, the sensory. overload would have been too much, hence why she's sleeping.

My sister used to nap when she first began a full school day.

@EmmaH2022 School finishes at 3.30pm, but her teacher says she really should be finishing at 2pm, she's just too tired.

She just is up in the morning too early. She’s not lasting the day. It’s nothing to do with school finishing time, she needs a different sleep pattern. Walking everywhere probably wears her out too. And Forrest school. Suits some but not others. Being outside a lot can make children tired. Ok for very active Ines but it’s wearing yours out! It all sounds too much.

Mine gave up naps at 2/3. They were awake from 7.45 ish to 8. Lots of activities. Didn’t get tired. But yours does so I think something needs to change.

Oh, 3.30 as well, not 3

I think maybe a daytime sleep is a good compromise

Re forest school, yes, fresh air is tiring for some kids. A whole day out, especially, in the cold, would have wiped me out when I was a kid.

@TizerorFizz

She just is up in the morning too early. She’s not lasting the day. It’s nothing to do with school finishing time, she needs a different sleep pattern. Walking everywhere probably wears her out too. And Forrest school. Suits some but not others. Being outside a lot can make children tired. Ok for very active Ines but it’s wearing yours out! It all sounds too much.

Mine gave up naps at 2/3. They were awake from 7.45 ish to 8. Lots of activities. Didn’t get tired. But yours does so I think something needs to change.

@TizerorFizz Any ideas? All the other schools nearby do Forest School weekly and are a further walk away so changing schools isn't really an option.

My little sister was the youngest in her year and she had 5.30/6pm bedtimes til t least y3.

She's a grown adult and still insists she needs 10hrs sleep a night

As long as she is eating decent meals with slow release energy, getting plenty fresh air, then I'd say 12 hrs awake and 12 hrs asleep is fine

I agree with upthread if she was able to eventually move to a 7.30am wake she would last longer after school.

Is her school miles away? Even going to breakfast club for 7.45am mine would only get up at 7. They don't go any more as I start later now & they just walk to school.
Her day just sounds too long for her.
Lots of her class mates will be getting up more like 7.30/8am
As for getting up at 5.45 for holiday club- that's unimaginable to me. We use local ones within a 10-20min drive.

Mine were never like that. But then they only arrived at breakfast club at 8sm earliest. High energy kids and even in yr2 would do afterschool club most nights then beavers / swimming / football in the eve and bed 8 ish. Got around 11 hours sleep

Can your mum look after her at yours in a morning so she can sleep longer? It sounds like she is tired from early mornings and busy days with wrap around school care.

I don’t think it’s fair to criticise OP about the early start if she’s a single parent who needs to use childcare in some form. Sadly that’s life for many families- I worked with nurses who’s parents would have to drop kids at childcare at 7am and be up before 6.
OP I would let her go to bed as early as possible/she wants. I know it sounds ridiculous but if she slept 6-6:30 she may recoup some sleep and have more energy in the day. Both my kids have needed a lot of sleep so I know the feeling!