When kids go on break, so do the parents. For the last two weeks of 2025, you don’t have to do any pickups from school, and you don’t have to do any drop-offs and pickups from after-school activities like tennis, taekwondo or occupational therapy. It’s a much-needed break because being a parent and constantly on the go is exhausting.
However, over the break, parents probably got spoiled by the quick break from routine and letting your kids go off the rails with their bedtime routine. For myself, it has always been a struggle to get my child to go to sleep. She’s a night owl, and I think that might have something to do with her ADHD brain.
I have one too, but sleep is important for children’s brain development and learning ability. I knew that letting her go off her usual bedtime schedule during Christmas break was taking a gamble with my sanity when it was time to get back on her school schedule, but I allowed it anyway and I won’t beat myself up for it. However, I took some steps a couple of days before she returned to get her back on track, and while it’s still a work in progress, I think we’re headed in a better direction. Here are three things I did to reestablish my daughter’s back-to-school schedule after holiday break.
Start Early
I began trying to get her back on schedule a few days before she had to return to school. It wasn’t easy, and she protested, but she responds well when I explain the reasons behind my decisions. As parents, we sometimes fall into the habit of saying “because I said so,” but in this case, I explained that getting enough sleep is crucial for her brain development and ability to learn.
Ideally, I would like her to be in bed by 8:30 PM, so I started with smaller steps. On the Saturday before school started, I set her bedtime for 9:30 PM. I enforced a strict 9 PM end to all activities, giving her time to wind down, brush her teeth, and prepare for bed. The night before school began, I set an 8:30 PM end time for activities and a 9 PM bedtime, explaining to her how the routine would work. This week, I’m aiming for an 8 PM end to activities with the goal of an 8:30 PM bedtime.
Remind Them What They Enjoyed
My daughter enjoys her school and her friends, but when she is in vacation mode, you can forget it. She’d rather just be home on her iPad or having a playdate with a friend all day. However, it helps to remind them of things to look forward to when getting back into the routine of school.
In my case, my daughter loves tennis and taekwondo, she has friends at school that she enjoys, and she likes subjects like geography, social studies, and art. Helping her remember these things was motivating.
Be Consistent
It may take a couple of days during the first week back to school to readjust, but it’s important to stay firm about the cutoff time you set. Eventually, your routine will fall back into place. I’m writing this two days into the school year, and she told me that she had an easier time going to bed last night and felt more energized throughout the day than she did the previous night. That’s a win!