I can’t believe it’s already the Holiday’s again! It feels like yesterday was the end of Summer trying to get the kids back into School and now the winter coats are out and it’s almost time for the Holiday break.

Speaking of Summer, we’ve talked before about how tricky it can be to get back into the school routine when Fall hits, and in the same way it can be even trickier to keep that routine going on the shorter winter break. Holidays are one of our kiddos favorite times of year: more sweets, later bedtimes, new toys, etc. and in the midst of all the fun and frenzy it can be hard not to completely fall out of our routine. 

It is important to have that extra fun, staying up a little later to snuggle and watch those Holiday movies or to see your neighborhood's Holiday lights. But just as vital is keeping some semblance of your kids routine even with all of the exciting activities and events. 

So how can we help our kids (and ourselves) stay on routine during the Holidays but still have some fun? Keep reading for a few suggestions that have worked for us

1. Set Expectations and Discuss

In our normal everyday routine, schedules are set by our kids' school or our work but during the holidays we don’t have those schedules keeping us, or the kids, on track. That’s why it is important to set some expectations for the holiday break and discuss them with your kids. In the next few paragraphs we are going to give some ideas for ways to stay on routine, but, before you start implementing them make sure to take some time to figure out what routine your family is trying to keep. Whether it’s with bedtime, screen time, meal time etc. and if you have older kids discussing this Holiday routine before it starts will help them be prepared for their winter break and what to expect with their new routine! 

2. Consistent Sleeping 

Bedtimes and wake-up times are not going to stay the same during the Holidays (especially on Christmas morning!). So how do you find the balance of making this time fun but also not entirely exhausting? Balancing the week by giving the kids two or three set nights to stay up later, whether for a special Holiday movie night or just to spend extra time playing, gives them something to look forward to. It also helps alleviate the constant push for a later bedtime when they know what days they can stay up later! For younger kids sleeping-in isn’t in their vocabulary but for the older ones who may want to snooze you can do the same thing; giving them a couple days a week to catch some extra zzzz’s but keeping them a little bit more on schedule for the other days. Even though it may seem a bit chaotic going back and forth, the kiddos really loved those special nights that they got to stay up late and helped us plan our holiday evenings a little bit better! 

3, Consistent meal times 

This one is tricky just for me without including the kids! Consistent meal times are hard especially when throwing in all of the Holiday treats! Focusing on staying consistent with at least two meals a day. By eating at around the same time each day for even just two meals it helps keep kids on track. I know during the Holidays we have parties and get togethers but keeping the kids on consistent meal times, for example, with just breakfast and lunch, will help their bodies keep a better rhythm. 

4. Screen Time 

Our kids will be using screens more on winter break; TV Shows, video games, Movies, etc. and that is ok! But it is definitely important to set some limitations. Screen time is an easy activity for kids to choose but, when they have extra free time on winter break it’s important for them to have other past times to take advantage of as well. What is tricky about winter break is the weather; you can’t as easily send the kids outside like in Summer or take them to the park; so we have to be a bit more intentional about taking breaks from our screens. Indoor play areas can be a great way to have some fun, stay active and keep warm! (Check out some Connecticut indoor play areas here) Coloring pages for the littles or things like word finds/mazes for the bigger kids can be great brain “exercise” as well! If you are still searching for things for your kids to do when it’s too cold to go outside stay tuned for our second blog post later this month with lots of great ideas! Finally, there are a lot of really fun Christmas activities you can do with your kids which brings me to our last point! 

5. Schedule things to do together 

Holiday break definitely does not always feel like a “break” to us parents/caregivers. Just keeping our children busy seems like a challenge much less trying to make time to do things together but it is such a perfect time to create family memories that will last a lifetime. I know every day of winter break we can’t schedule activities and things to do. But how about planning even just a few special activities that you and your family can do together! It can be as simple as baking Christmas Cookies together, Driving around your neighborhood to look at Christmas lights, or planning a fun Christmas movie night! It may sound weird but taking time to schedule “fun” can make all the difference between enjoying winter break and just wanting it to be over, for you and your kids! 

There you have it, a few ways to help your family stay on routine this Holiday season and hopefully some ideas for having fun in the process! 

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more blog posts and don’t forget to subscribe to our monthly family newsletter here, follow us on Instagram, or like us on Facebook for more content.

Have a safe and Happy Holiday Season!