5 Ideas To Overcome The Return Of The Holidays
If for adults the end of a long vacation is a great challenge, for the little ones it is even more so. After months of rest and fun, returning to the school routine and getting over the holidays can become a real odyssey for children and teenagers.
Overcoming the return of the holidays: a great challenge
Summer vacation is the longest holiday period that younger generations can enjoy. Several months in which they get to completely disconnect from their routine during the academic year. However, this absolute disconnect has its advantages and disadvantages.
On the one hand, whether the school performance has been excellent or not, the school year is really exhausting, and children and adolescents need the summer holidays to rest.
On the other hand, after disconnecting from school life for months, the return from vacation can generate a series of problems in the child or adolescent, such as stress, anxiety, sadness, anger or worry, which can originate a deep rejection by go back to school or institute.
School refusal
School refusal is a psychosocial problem characterized by a student’s difficulty in attending school. This school rejection often comes in the form of fear or anxiety, and sometimes even in the form of depression.
According to the results of the study “Psychosocial interventions for school refusal with primary and secondary school students: a systematic review” by Professor Brandy R. Maynard and his team, about 2% of children experience school refusal. That is, they are deeply distressed at the idea of going back to school.
How to overcome the return of the holidays?
- Talk about what worries you. Listen to his fears and help him face them. Get involved and offer your help to brainstorm a plan of action to resolve their biggest concerns and challenges.
- Plan together. Ask your child to help you plan meals or choose clothes for the first week of school. Eating your favorite foods and wearing your best outfits will boost your mood, while making you feel more confident.
- Launch the routine of school hours. The first day of school after returning from vacation is stressful enough to cope with the daily routine at home as well. Starting this routine a week before going back to school is very helpful if your child has a particularly hard time getting up.
- Find and choose the material together. Make a shopping list for school supplies together. Letting your child choose what he likes the most will make him feel less anxious and a little happier and excited about going back to school.
- Let the positive outweigh the negative. According to the charity Anxiety Canada, focusing on the positives is key when it comes to helping children cope with the anxiety of going back to school.
In conclusion, returning from vacation will never be easy. However, it can become less distressing for the youngest if we help them get used to school hours in advance and focus their return to school or institute with greater positivity and enthusiasm.
