afternoon meltdowns

[Summertime Mommy]

We are having problems here with Caylynn having meltdowns in the afternoon when she gets home from school. (She is in Kindergaten) I am almost positive that it is because she isn't getting a nap at school, but I think 3:00 would be too late to give her one myself. Right now she goes to bed at 9:00 and gets up at 7. Should I lower her bedtime by a few hours? Do you think that would help, or should I just start making her rest for a few hours when she gets home? I am at my wits end about this.

[Momma's Arms]

I would try making her bedtime 7:30 or 8:00. Maybe even earllier if she needs it. You could lower it by 30 minutes each day until you find a time that works for her. Making her nap when she comes home might result in an even later bedtime which could trap you in a bad cycle. You might also allow her some down time when she comes home. Maybe story time or videos if you allow them. That could let her rest without taking a few hour long nap. Or you might find that the best thing for afternoons is large activity and send her out to the swing set. Experiment.

[LunaMom]

Afternoon meltdowns are pretty common in young children who go to school. I think it's due to a few things - they're tired, they've been on their best behavior all day and they need and outlet, and they're probably hungry, too. I'm always surprised at how much my DD's meltdowns are fueled by hunger, even though she is perfectly capable of asking for food.

Try bringing a snack in the car that she can have on the way home, or if she takes a schoolbus, have something ready for her on the table. And then give her some positive attention for a while. I found that when I used to be distracted when my DD got home from school, her behavior was worse. Now I make sure I'm prepared for her return.

You can try gradually pushing back her bedtime so that she has another hour of sleep per night. That might help, too.

Good luck!

[krmom]

I noticed this with my ds as well. He's also in kindergarten this year. It has helped him tremendously to go to bed earlier than he was used to before starting school. We now start our bedtime routine at around 7:45 and he is usually asleep within minutes--sometimes seconds--of his head hitting the pillow.

I agree with LunaMom that it is very common in young children in school to have afternoon/early evening meltdowns. In our case it's usually early evening--around 6 pm or so. We try really hard to spend one-on-one time with our kids from after dinner until bedtime. It seems as if this helps. Otherwise, my two ds (ages 5.5 and 2.5) are in almost constant conflict it seems. They get along fine (for the most part) at most other times of the day.

[lab]

I've got three in school and the 4th grader comes home and melts down when he is tired. Isn't that just the most fun!

Sounds like your baby is tired. I would definately go for an earlier bedtime. I also agree with Lunamom that being distracted just escalates the situation.

Good Luck