Helping Youth Cope with Post Holiday Blues

Helping Youth Cope with Post Holiday Blues

January 10, 2024 in News, Parent Education & Support

The end of the year can be a very busy time for many families. This time of year provides time for families to spend together, breaks from school and anticipated fun festivity and holiday traditions. 

An abrupt transition from holiday time off to the daily school routine can be challenging to navigate in children, teens and adults. Children and teens are more likely to express their feelings during this transition with behaviors rather than words. Regional Medical Center (RMC) Parents as Teachers (PAT) provides some tactics on how to help the youth cope with “post-holiday blues”:

Talk about going back to school. Provide a space where they can verbalize their feelings while returning to school. One way to do this is to simply ask questions on how they are feeling about returning to school. Normalize their feelings of worry or nervousness and acknowledge their feelings are common.

Get back into a routine. Although it may not be very fun, children thrive with routines and schedules. It can be helpful to keep your child’s bedtime and wake-up time the same throughout a break.

Make physical health a priority. Although breaks are great, making a point to get up and move with intention throughout the day can help keep their bodies in sync when heading back to school.

Create quality family time. Just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean the family time needs to end. Build in quality time each week to do something together. If you are looking for more parental support, reach out to RMC Parents as Teachers (563-927-7685) or visit regmedctr.org/pat to learn more.