During your child’s extended breaks from school, it’s easy for them to fall out of a routine. 几天或几周, 孩子们再也不用早起上学了, 所以他们可能会穿着睡衣, go to bed later and spend most of the day playing or in front of a screen. 休息结束后, the return to school may be a challenging adjustment for both students and parents.

你怎样才能使改变尽可能容易?

凯利Henchel美国儿科综合诊所的医学主任 约翰霍普金斯儿童医院 在圣. 彼得堡，佛罗里达州，和 巴里·所罗门美国国立卫生研究院普通儿科主任 约翰霍普金斯儿童中心, discuss six steps to help your kids get back into the school routine after a holiday or prolonged break.

1. 不要让返校时间悄悄逼近孩子

While there is a countdown to the start of winter and spring break and some pomp and circumstance regarding the end of summer break, 这些休息的结束似乎会突然结束. 适合年幼的孩子, 制作一个日历，提醒他们返校, and have older children and adolescents write it on their own calendar or enter it in their cellphone. A calendar can also be a helpful reminder for teens of school assignments they have during a break.

“I love using a calendar to plan out the holiday breaks,” says Henchel. 对于年幼的孩子, they can help by finding pictures representing the goals or tasks to make the calendar more meaningful. They can even illustrate the calendar with bedtime clocks, play dates or projects. 对于大一点的孩子, planning to complete their work ahead can also be placed on the calendar, 他们可以在返校前得到奖励.” 

2. 学校睡眠时间表的回归

无论学生是5岁还是15岁, getting enough sleep at night is critical to their ability to learn. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says that without enough sleep, 儿童和青少年更容易有不良行为, 当他们回到学校学习和注意力问题. Lack of sleep also places them at a higher risk of developing a variety of health issues, including:

• 抑郁症
• 糖尿病
• 高血压
• 肥胖

It’s important to transition youth back to their regular sleep patterns before they return to school. 尤其是对年幼的孩子, move bedtime back 15 to 20 minutes during the nights leading up to return to school until your child is back on a school sleep schedule.

“It’s important to have all parents and caregivers on the same page with an earlier bedtime,所罗门说。. “虽然孩子们一开始可能会失望, getting back to their pre-break schedule will result in a happier, 更健康的孩子和不那么忙碌的早晨.”

3. 我们来谈谈

和你的孩子或青少年谈论即将到来的学校活动, projects they may have forgotten about and what they’re looking forward to when they go back to school. You can also discuss worries they may have about returning to the structure of school and re-engaging with peers. This can help relieve anxieties and remind them of what they like about going to school. For older kids, after the winter break, it may be helpful to set academic New Year’s resolutions.

“在课间休息时安排一些类似学校的活动, 喜欢阅读, practicing math problems or doing science experiments instead of having an excess of screen time, 也能帮助孩子们重新回到教室吗,亨切尔说.  

4. 告诉他们谁是他们的朋友

对一些学生来说, returning to the classroom means returning to the pressure and hard work associated with school, 特别是对于初高中的学生. 如果你的孩子为回学校而烦恼, try setting up a small play date with their school friends (for older kids, encourage them to connect in person with friends over the break). This can remind them of the friends they have and that returning to school can be fun. It also breaks the ice after having not seen their classmates in a while, 当他们重新进入教室时，什么能让他们更自信.

“During a break, adolescents may stay connected on social media,” Solomon says. “However, isolation could set in if they see a group of friends having fun without them. I encourage parents to check in regularly with their teen and continue to monitor their social media use.”    

5. 避免拖延重要的学校任务

孩子们很容易忘记休息后要交的家庭作业, 或者在返回教室时获取所需的用品. Putting off these activities can cause undue stress for both children and parents. Remind older children about their assignments throughout the break so they don’t feel rushed and harried before going back to school. You can take your kids shopping for school supplies during after-holiday sales to help them look forward to using the supplies in the classroom.

Also, you can set yourself and your kids up for success by prepping the night before school starts. 试着把孩子的衣服放好, 准备简单的早餐和午餐, and pack their backpacks to help make the first day back less stressful.

“Celebrate the time your child has been out of school and the return to learning,亨切尔说. 一顿特别的晚餐, 零食, or trip to the library or bookstore after they return can help positively frame learning for your child.”  

6. 不好也没关系

尽管你尽了最大的努力, your child may still have mixed feelings when returning to school after a break, 这是很正常的. 鼓励你的孩子或青少年表达他们的感受, and contact the support network at the school if they’re struggling.

If your child has a hard time getting out the door during the first week back to school, 让老师或其他学校工作人员知道. This gives the school a heads-up that the student may need a breather, and it lets your child know that both you and their teacher will support them as they return to school.

Though it may take a little time, your child should soon be back in the swing of things. 如果开学前几周一切顺利的话, consider a small celebration — in the form of a weekend activity that your child can look forward to.