Anyone Else with an After-school Grouch?

I have this w/both my kids (one in kindergarten one in 3rd grade--it's sooo fun when they both go at it and are both grouchy :(). I think they're tired of holding it together all day and they can let down at home. I found out w/my older that she wasn't eating good things at lunch so by the time she got home her blood sugar was low and she was a mess. Talk w/his teacher to make sure he's eating what he should. Try giving him a snack right away and then letting him chill out by watching tv or doing something he enjoys. Make sure he's getting enough sleep at night so he can get through the day. I do think all day K is tough for some and it's a huge adjustment so he's probably just dealing with a big change. Good luck!

My daughter also started kindergarten in Sept. We are experiencing the same behaviors. I do think that the day is very long for these still young children. Like your son, my daughter loves school, her teacher and she is doing a great job. When she gets home it is a different story. I think that they are expending so much energy on school, listening, following directions, following a schedule, etc...that when these little people get home they need to release/explode all this out and so meltdowns occur, grouchy attitudes happen. I do not even know if they realize what they or doing or how to stop it. I do think all of this will certainly improve as they get more accustomed to their school days, as I do know she is so tired at the end of the day.

Maybe your grouch is just very tired after a stimulating day and just needs some time to relax and chill before handling stressful interactions. Maybe some quiet time or even a nap after he comes home may help him.

He sounds tired... Have you considered trying to get him to sleep a bit earlier? For all I know, he could be asleep by 6:30 but he might be missing a little down time in the day. Another thing that my son does torture (strong term) me and his little brother when he feels he has missed out... kind of out of jealousy.
Just thoughts!

I actually had to change the the bedtime from 8 to 7pm. He was just toast when he got home from school. So earlier bedtime and he gets to lay down in Mom & Dads room to watch a show after school, then we talk about school at dinnertime.