The Highs & Lows of Holiday Break

I don’t think I know a single educator who doesn’t know the exact number of days left until the holiday break. And deservedly so — challenging behaviors seem to peak in December, it can be hard to focus on instruction amidst the celebrations and fun days, and then layer on that it’s cold and dark outside! But long holiday breaks are a mixed bag for a lot of (if not all of!) our students and it’s important to know this as we prepare for the beginning of break and the subsequent return to school.

Some of the best parts of a holiday break are in the  name: it’s a break. It gives students and educators a chance to separate, catch up on sleep, spend time with family, and disconnect from school demands. And before break, many schools create opportunities to celebrate together, giving students and staff a sense of belonging and connection. 

On the other hand, even the most wonderful breaks are still breaks, meaning there is a disconnect from typical routines. There are increased transitions, potentially time spent with family you don’t often see, unstructured time, and separation from school community. Some students don’t have consistent access to their caretakers, who work throughout the holiday break. Some are losing their consistent breakfast and lunch. Some aren’t able to communicate with the friends they see daily. But even for the students who have family, food, and friendship, change is still change. And that change can feel challenging. 

In order to support your students during this time, think about ways to ease them into the break. You can send them off with kind words or letters from their peers, connect them to community resources, give them tasks to complete (not homework, but fun optional activities!), review the calendar so they know what to expect, and provide some anticipation for what they will do when they return. Providing those reliable, consistent elements around a big transition can help kids with the unsteadiness of what their break might bring.

As you prepare for their return to school, make sure you intentionally reconnect students to you, their peers, and their community. We can be sure to ease students into the second half of the school year by resetting expectations and routines; and that return to clear routine can help kids transition back from the break, too. When we center connection and regulation for  students, we can help transition them right back into feeling supported and capable.

So, while winter break can be long awaited and exciting, it can also be destabilizing and challenging for students. Holding both of these truths at once allows us to better support them through the transition out of school, and then back into it. When we lead with predictability and connection we help students feel safer navigating the uncertainty that winter break might bring. And in doing so, we don’t just help them get through the holidays; we also set the tone for a smoother, more regulated return and a stronger second half of the school year for everyone.