School Breaks: Preparation, Duration, and Transitioning Back to the Classroom

By: Becca Bordner, BSW, Janelle Schenk, LLMSW

Upcoming school breaks might be something that students and families look forward to throughout the entire school year. This is usually a time that students are able to relax and visit with family/friends. However, due to the unstructured time that occurs during breaks, it is possible that as a parent you will see an increase in your child’s undesired behaviors during this time. It is helpful if you are able to prepare for breaks and unstructured time beforehand in order to have the most enjoyable break. This blog will provide you with tips for things you can do to prepare for break, things you can do during breaks, and things you can do after break ends to aid with the transition back to the classroom to make the time off the most enjoyable for both you and your child.

Before break begins

Communicate Plans – Communicate with your child that a break is upcoming and discuss some of your plans. Even if you don’t totally know what the plan is during break, it can be helpful to give your child some idea that a break is coming up and maybe one thing that you will be doing each day, if it is already planned. Think about how much time your child typically needs to prepare for change and how they usually react to it. If you know they like to know information as soon as possible to have the smoothest transition, then let them know as soon as possible. If you know that change makes them anxious, telling them closer to the break might be better so they don’t spend a lot of time worrying about it. Use your best judgment and take note of how your child reacts for the future.

Explain Why – It can be easier to appreciate time off when you know what the purpose of it is. However, it can be difficult to explain the purpose of holidays, especially if they have been inaccurately portrayed in society or if you participate in a different holiday than the federally recognized holidays. Here are some resources for explaining the purpose of breaks to kids:

Create Themed Activities – Find activities that your child typically enjoys participating in and make them relevant to the upcoming break. For example, if your child loves painting, having them paint something they are grateful for may be a nice way to have a discussion of what gratitude is during Thanksgiving break.

Plan Self-Care – If possible, plan time for parent self care! Think ahead about what things your child can do independently and provide your child with a toy to ensure some time for parental relaxation. It is important that parents have time to fill their cups too!

Plan Time Together – Plan time for uninterrupted connection with your child during break. This can be very special for kids, especially if they are not used to having one on one time!

During break

Make a Schedule – Create a plan for the day and try to continue to keep the usual AM/PM routine to help provide some consistency.

Physical: Outdoor- games, walking, hiking, sports, playing in the snow, running. Indoor: Mindfulness, GoNoodle
Social: Visit, call, facetime, or message friends/family
Environmental: Helping out around the house with chores, reorganize things in their bedroom, traveling
Educational: Educational online games, reading, listening to podcasts
Creativity: Painting, drawing, creating something

Transitioning back after break

Give a Transition Warning – Prepare your child when break is coming close to the end. You can provide them with a daily countdown, or you can remind them a few days/one day before that they will be heading back to school and transitioning back into their normal routine. You could even utilize an interactive calendar as a visual reminder.

Discuss Emotions – Discuss common emotions about breaks ending with your child. Even as adults, it can be difficult to find the motivation to get back into typical day to day responsibilities after being on a break. Discussing with your child the possible emotions that they can have about breaks ending will help them give a name to how they are feeling, rather than trying to express that feeling through behavior. For example, a child may feel overwhelmed and anxious going back to school. A behavior they might show you is refusal to go to school the morning of the first day back, but not being able to articulate why. Providing the child with an age appropriate explanation of these common feelings prior to the morning of school may prompt them to discuss the anxiety they are feeling, which will provide direction for solutions.

Talk with the Teacher – If applicable, connect with your child’s teacher and communicate about any relevant behaviors that have occurred over break.

Use Your Toolkit – Think about strategies that have helped with any kinds of transition in the past and apply those if you can!

Conclusion

Breaks from school can be difficult to manage due to the changes in routine and increase in transitions. By preparing beforehand, having a plan for each day, and knowing the typical reactions your child may have to change, you can set your family up for a successful break. We hope that by using these strategies, you can manage behaviors, carve out some time to relax and reset, and find shared enjoyment as a family during this time.

References

Anti-Bias Education and Holidays: Making Thoughtful Decisions. (n.d.). NAEYC. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/anti-bias-and-holidays

A Racial Justice Guide to Thanksgiving for Educators and Families. (n.d.-b). Interfaith Worker Justice. https://www.iwj.org/resources/a-racial-justice-guide-to-thanksgiving-for-educators-and-families

Best Podcasts for Kids. (n.d.) Common Sense Media. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/podcast-lists

Educational Games, Worksheets, and More for Kids. (n.d.). Education.com. https://www.education.com

GoNoodle | Home. (n.d.). https://www.gonoodle.com

Kendra Moyses, Michigan State University Extension. (2022, January 21). How can you teach your young child about different holidays? MSU Extension. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/how_can_you_teach_your_young_child_about_different_holidays

Lundy-Ponce, G. (2019, December 19). Culturally Responsive Instruction for Holiday and Religious Celebrations. Colorín Colorado. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/culturally-responsive-instruction-holiday-and-religious-celebrations

Mindful Team, Health Mind, Health Life. (2022, October 3). Mindfulness for Kids. https://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-for-kids/

The Genius of Play Team. (n.d.). 12 Fun Outdoor Games and Activities. The Genius of Play. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://thegeniusofplay.org/genius/expert-advice/articles/12-fun-outdoor-games-and-activities.aspx#.Y25J7C-B1KN

PBS Kids. (2022, January 25). Plan Ahead With a Refrigerator Calendar | Crafts for Kids. PBS KIDS for Parents. https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/plan-ahead-with-a-refrigerator-calendar

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