Child Developement

Holidays give parents and kids that much-needed break from the routine. It's a time to bond over some new adventures, to celebrate festivities, or perhaps to visit to the grandparents. But when the holidays are about to come to an end, the kids might be reluctant to go back to school!

Here are some tips to help you ease the kids back into their normal school routine.

1. Stick to the usual bedtime routine

One of the major concerns that parents face once school reopens is that their kids don't wake up on time. But if you stick to the same routine during holidays as well, it helps a lot. As Nivedita Kavidi, a Recruiter from Michigan, USA and a mother of a seven-year-old daughter shares, "I try to keep my daughter's bedtime and waking time the same throughout the holidays. Also, NO extra screen time during holidays and no screen time just before bed."

2. Have positive conversations

"Talking really helps. Talk to your children about their friends whom they would like to meet once school starts," says Kanchan Bachwani, a Dietician, Personal Trainer Lifestyle Coach and a Diabetes Educator. The thing is to make going to school a positive approach and instill a sense of excitement and happiness in your kids. Kanchan further adds, "Talk to the kids about the importance of spending more time outdoors with friends, rather than being glued to television, phones and other gadgets."

3. Involve them in planning school meals

One easy way to ease the kids into thinking about school again is to involve them in decisions involving their school day. For example, having them plan what snacks or meals to bring could give them something to look forward to during classes. Kanchan suggests, "You could chalk out a few snack options with them, like prepare a week wise food menu for them." So for Mondays, it could be a chicken patty, Tuesdays could be a banana smoothie and maybe throw in Friday as a cheat day, where they get to nibble on a chocolate doughnut!

4. Keep learning during the holidays

Whether you're at home during the holidays or out on a trip, you can still set aside at least 30 minutes to an hour per day for learning. This is a fantastic way for a child to keep up with what's being taught in school and to maintain interest in their studies once they resume school. Nivedita further adds, "I make sure that I set time for her to study every day; and it is only after studying, that can she read storybooks, colour, draw, build LEGO or any other activity she may like."

5. Plan weekends ahead

Sometimes it is okay to count the chickens before they hatch. In this case, plan two weekends a month with your children just before school reopening, so that they have something to look forward to. It could be a trip to the local circus, a kids' movie that is coming soon, or a trip to the zoo or play zone in a mall. This helps to balance out the mundane routine of school going days by infusing some fun time during the weekends. Once you plan, even you can relax as you would have incorporated it into your schedule, leaving no room for last minute surprises!

Remember, there's no foolproof plan to ease your kids back into the school routine. As a parent you know what works best for your child, but at times, simple tips such as sticking to the same bedtime rituals, talking positively to the kids about school, involving them in planning their meals, setting aside a ritual for studies, and planning your weekends ahead with them - help you as a parent to smooth their transition in to school.

About Tanya

Tanya is a graduate in Sociology from Sophia College, Mumbai and a post-graduate in Communications and Media from SNDT Women's University in Mumbai. She started her career 16 years ago by writing children's books, e-learning, content management for international websites and magazines and writing lifestyle and feature articles. She's the founder of The Lifestyle Portal an e-publishing platform that focuses primarily on entrepreneur profiling, entrepreneur directory listing, workshop reviews, feature stories and more. She's also a Certified Parent-Child Play Practitioner and a Certified Story Teller.