It’s hard to believe winter break for most kids and the holidays are coming up so soon. This year, the way Christmas and New Years falls, it creates almost two weeks of a break. On the one hand, this can provide a longer time together as a family. On the other, it means more time off school and from typical routines.
For most extended breaks from school, the typical principles apply:
- Maintain basic routines as feasible (i.e., bedtime and wake up time, consistent meals, get physical activity).
- For kids that really thrive on structure (and the parents who need that structure): work collaboratively to develop a plan for otherwise completely unstructured days to build in some rough plan for specific activities and a timeframe for them.
- If excessive screen time creates major challenges, being especially mindful of using typical school year rules or creating a separate set of them for winter break could work well. Also, weaving in activities and using some extra time naturally for electronics can help mitigate some battles over tech use.
If you are traveling:
- The same rules apply as feasible recognizing that some flexibility is ok, but some kids do better than others based on how many days routines are really off for. This is important to keep in mind not just during the trip, but in terms of the ease of getting back on a routine when break ends or you return from the trip.
- Make sure snacks and meals are scheduled enough or at minimum that food is easily accessible to reduce a child (or teen or even adult) from struggling with their mood and other things because of being hungry. No one wants a real life version of the Snickers commercial on their trip most likely.
If you are home:
- Plan out childcare for the days you are working when your kids are off. Setting up playdates and taking turns watching a group of kids can often work well. Signing kids up for winter break camps is another option if feasible.
- If working remotely, plan out times when you can take breaks to do activities with your kids to make the most of the winter break and ability to get extra time with them.
- The time around the holiday festivities can be a great time to undertake organizational projects such as helping your child organize their bedroom or doing common spaces as a family. Think about it as a new years resolution to be more organized.
Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and happy new year!
