Starting school – How to protect your tired little one

There can be a vast difference between one child’s age and another, who are both starting school at the same time. It may be that your child has just turned 4 (a Summer baby) or that they are almost 5 (an Autumn baby) Regardless of your child’s age, a period of adjustment is on its way. If your little one has been used to long days at nursery, it’s easy to assume they will cope with the transition to a school day easily. But nursery is mostly play-based, whereas the adjustment to the structure of a school day, as well as being in a new environment, plus making new friends can all take their toll. They are all mentally and emotionally tiring. Here are three tips to help counter tiredness upon starting school: Early Nights – Why not bring bedtime forward? Anything up to an hour would be achievable. Use your child as a guide, you’ll know when they are ready for bed. After School Snooze – This is perfectly ok, let it happen. Don’t panic and worry this will affect their bedtime. They need this snooze to help cope with the adjustment of their new day. A snooze of 30 minutes or less is ideal. Allow A Weekend Nap – Similar to the after school snooze, the weekend nap is also perfectly ok. Again, don’t worry it will affect your child’s bedtime. Let them catch up and recharge their batteries. This will prevent other issues such as over-tiredness, which can lead to bedtime battles and early rising. It’s sometimes worth planning a car journey for the weekend in order to incorporate a sleep. Grab our free quick guide with top tips on Starting School here >> Download now Become a Sleep Nanny Insider – it’s Free! Weekly inspiration, support and goodies Submit