For many kids, winter vacation ends tomorrow and that means it’s back to the daily grind. Back to getting out the door on time for school (with winter bundling no less), doing homework, eating dinner, and getting to sleep at a decent hour. Are your kids still in vacation mode? Here are some ways to help the transition back to school go a bit smoother.
- Visuals for Routines
Bring out those schedules/routines/lists that you don’t use anymore, or create new ones to get your kiddos back on track after break. Having a visual list of the steps to do keeps kids on track and less distracted.
- Praise the Positive
Give reinforcement more frequently than you were before vacation. If your child did her whole morning routine seamlessly before break, to get back into the swing of things, make a point to praise her at a few points during the routine. For example, after she gets dressed, say, “Thank you for getting dressed right away.” After breakfast, a similar praise would be good, and stick one in after boots, coat, hat, and gloves as well.
- Shorter Segments Before Reinforcer
1) If your kiddo used to come home, do homework, eat dinner and then have free time… for the first few days back to school, try breaking the evening up into smaller chunks.
For example:
a) Do homework then 15 minutes of free time.
b) Eat dinner (with appropriate mealtime behavior), then 15 minute of free time.
c) Do night time routine (pajamas, teeth, etc.), then reinforcer (special book, etc.)
2) After a few days, a maybe a week, your child will get back into the swing of things and you will be able to go back to structuring the after school/evening hours the way you did before break. I would suggest removing one reinforcer at a time. For example, homework and dinner, then free time.
By Friday of next week, you and your kids will be right where you left off before break. Just remember to write tasks down if kids are getting distracted and not finishing multiple steps. Most importantly, focus on the positive and reinforce it – and frequently.