How To Get Your Family Back to Routine After the Holidays
The holidays are great. No one is entirely sure what day it is, someone’s still floating around in pyjamas past lunch, and the fridge is stacked with leftovers that nobody really wants anymore.
The break, whether it’s school holidays, long weekends, or one of those public holiday stretches that throws the whole calendar out of whack, always messes with structure. But eventually, the real world starts tapping on the shoulder again, and getting back into routine turns into a whole mission.
The Sleep Reset
One of the biggest things that gets thrown off during a break is sleep. Bedtimes drift later and later, and mornings stretch out until half the day’s gone. It sneaks up, too. One late night turns into five, and before anyone realises, the whole house is operating on vampire hours.
Here’s the go: don’t yank everyone back to strict bedtimes overnight. That just makes them cranky, and you’ll cop the brunt of it. Instead, wind things back bit by bit. Nudge bedtime earlier by 15 minutes every night, even if they whinge. And we’re not saying to chuck out the screens completely, but maybe cool it with the 11 PM TikTok scrolling. Let the phones sleep in the kitchen or something. They’ll survive.
Sort Out Child Care Before It Becomes a Crisis
Child care is something you don’t think about when you’re on a break. During holidays, routines go out the window, and suddenly grandma is babysitting every other day or the kids are tagging along to errands like tiny interns. But when work kicks back in, that casual arrangement starts falling apart fast.
The goal is not just about having someone watch the kids, although that alone is a huge relief for you. Sending your child to a reputable child care centre is going to give them the consistency that comes with familiar faces, predictable days, and the usual drop-offs and pick-ups. That stability makes it heaps easier for the little ones to settle back into their own groove, which helps the whole household breathe easier.
Mentally Clock Back In, Even If the Body Is Not Ready
Physically being back at work or back in the school routine is one thing, but mentally? That can take a while. Minds still wander back to wherever the break was spent. There’s a bit of a lag between showing up and actually being present again.
One way to help bridge that gap is to give the brain a little nudge. This is the hardest part though because we tend to resist change so well, even if we know that change is good, and often necessary. That’s why your brain might need a visual cue to lock in. For some, it’s cleaning and rearranging the work desk. For others, it’s creating a bunch of to-do lists and refreshing a wardrobe. Whatever floats your boat.
Breakfast Like It’s the Backbone of the Day
It’s wild how quickly breakfast becomes optional when routines go out the window. Holiday-mode eating usually leans hard into snacking, grazing, and calling leftover cake a meal. But once normal life resumes, a proper brekkie actually matters. Not only for the sake of creating a routine, but also for your general health and well-being.
Getting back into the habit of sitting down, even if it’s for a quick bit of toast or a banana, can help anchor the rest of the morning. And it sets the tone, too. Kids behave better, and adults think clearly. Everyone is just less feral when there’s good food in their system. Don’t overthink it. Just eat something that didn’t come out of a party bag.
Get Stuff Ready the Night Before
The mornings hit harder after a break. Everyone is moving slowly, stuff is missing, and no one remembers how to be a proper person. It happens to the best of us, and it’s all part of the post-holiday routine. But, it doesn't mean you should let it happen just like that. If there’s a way to prevent it, why not give it a try?
The easiest way to dodge all that is to just sort stuff the night before. It doesn’t need to be a full production, just enough so the morning doesn’t feel like a fire drill. It sounds obvious, but it makes life so much easier. And the fewer decisions people have to make before 8 AM, the better everyone’s mood is.
Back to Work, School, and All That
The first proper day back after a break hits hard. Everyone is out of practice. That’s okay, nobody expects you to have it all on the first day, except maybe you, but that’s between you and yourself. But before you judge yourself, just know that expecting perfection right away is setting things up for a meltdown.
Instead, focus on rhythm. It doesn’t matter if it’s messy or out of sync. What matters is movement, like getting out the door, packing something vaguely nutritious, and making it through the day without crying (too much). It’s all progress. The first week back should be about reactivating the routine, not nailing it. The details can get smoothed out later.
Weeknights Don’t Have to Be Boring
One of the strangest things after a holiday stretch is the silence. The nights stop being full of family visits, road trips, or last-minute movie marathons. Suddenly, it’s just Tuesday, and you might have a work thing tomorrow. And just like that, there’s nothing happening.
But that doesn’t mean the evenings need to feel like a void. You can still have fun with your family. The joy isn’t reserved for the holidays only. And while you won’t be eating cake in bed while binging random cartoons, you can still have fun and meaningful rituals that brighten up the day.
Reclaim the House
After a holiday, homes tend to look a bit like a storm passed through. There’s stuff everywhere, like random bags, odd decorations, and maybe a half-used picnic set that no one has put away just yet. And it’s no wonder everyone struggles to think straight. Clutter indeed makes the brain feel just as messy.
You don’t need to clean every nook and cranny like your life depends on it, but turning the most used areas, such as the kitchen and living room, into a livable and comfortable space can be a game-changer. Just think about it, no one likes to cook in a messy and cluttered kitchen, and the chances of you feeling good while cooking and trying to degrease a forgotten dirty pan are low.
Give Everyone Time to Reboot
Every person in the house reacts to post-holiday life differently. Some get straight back into things without blinking. They’re the lucky ones. Others take ages to stop dragging their feet. That’s not laziness, it’s just recalibrating, and everyone suffers from it to an extent.
The key is not pushing too hard, too fast. Guilt-tripping, yelling, or trying to force instant productivity is never a good thing, especially not when everyone is groggy because school is about to start. A gentler nudge goes further. If the lunch gets forgotten or someone has a meltdown over bedtime, be as gentle as possible. Some things just can’t be forced.
Conclusion
Coming off a holiday high is always going to feel a bit rough. There’s no neat way to do it. People are tired. The weather might be weird. Work inboxes are overflowing. The dog is acting weird because everyone is suddenly leaving the house again. It's chaos in little pockets. And yet, life does settle again. The routines slowly come back. Before long, it feels like life was always this way. Until the next holiday comes around and scrambles it all again.
