During the week at daycare, he has a super organized routine: bedtime at 8 pm, and he wakes up refreshed, happy, and ready for the day. But as soon as Saturday comes, everything goes out of control. Since there’s no school, he wakes up later, sometimes at 9 or 10 am, and at night he refuses to sleep until 10 or 11. Sunday is the same. Then Monday rolls around, and he’s exhausted, irritable, and seems to really struggle to get back into his rhythm. I don’t know what to do to help him balance his sleep better. I feel like I’m failing him on the weekends. 
Oh wow, Nicole, I feel this so hard. My 6 year old is exactly the same. Weekends just feel like chaos in terms of sleep. I swear we spend half of Monday recovering from the weekend! It’s like their little bodies can’t adjust quickly enough to the changes in schedule. You’re definitely not alone in this one
I went through this with my kids when they were 4. What helped us was sticking to the same wake-up time every day, even on weekends (brutal, I know). We’d still have “lazy mornings” with breakfast in bed or cartoons, but we’d make sure they were up by 7:30, no matter what. It took a couple of weeks, but eventually, the consistency paid off. Their bodies adjusted, and Monday mornings became way less of a struggle. It’s tough at first, but it really worked for us
It sounds like your little guy is just super sensitive to routine changes, which is actually a really good thing because it means he thrives with structure. The silver lining? As he grows, his ability to adapt will get better! This stage is tricky, but I promise it doesn’t last forever. My son is 7 now, and those weekend disruptions don’t throw him off nearly as much as they used to. Hang in there, it will improve!
Ugh, I feel your pain. We had a long stretch where Sundays were my least favorite day of the week because I knew Monday was going to be rough. 
No solutions here, just solidarity. It’s so hard when their sleep gets out of whack
We had a long stretch where Sundays were my least favorite day of the week because I knew Monday was going to be rough. No solutions here, just solidarity. It’s so hard when their sleep gets out of whack
I know how tempting it is to let kids sleep in on weekends (especially when it gives you a chance to catch up too!), but keeping a consistent wake-up and bedtime every day of the week can really help. One thing that worked for us was moving bedtime slightly later during the week, like 8:30 instead of 8. That way, weekends didn’t feel like such a drastic change. We also make sure to get outside early in the morning on weekends to reset their energy levels. It’s a game-changer!
Thank you all so much for the tips and encouragement. It’s comforting to know I’m not alone in this! I think we’ll try keeping a consistent wake, up time on weekends and see how that goes. It might be tough at first, but I’m willing to give it a shot. I’ll let you know how it works out! 
Same boat over here. My daughter, who’s 4, acts like a completely different kid on Mondays. It’s so hard because I want the weekends to feel fun and relaxed, but I also don’t want her to feel miserable starting the week. I just keep telling myself that as long as they’re happy most of the time, we’re doing okay, right?
Lol, Nicole, I call this the “weekend whiplash.” My son will act like a night owl on Saturday, then turn into a grumpy bear on Monday. It’s so relatable. Once, he stayed up until almost midnight watching a movie with us, and on Monday, his teacher asked if he “had a rough weekend.” Oops!
As a mom of a teenager, I’ve been there! One tip: try starting a “wind, down” routine on Sunday nights, even earlier than usual. Think bath, dim lights, calming music, and maybe a short story. It helps ease them back into the weekday rhythm without feeling like a punishment. Trust me, it’s easier to handle now than when they’re older and you’re battling late-night homework!