Some simple tips to help your little one get back into the routine without frustration after the holidays.

The end of summer, the end of our vacations, and the return to the routines of the new school year. There are many challenges that usually arise, especially for children, who have been on vacation for more than two months and have enjoyed a summer in which they have surely lost the routines they maintain throughout the school year, as well as their schedules.

" It's normal for children to lose their routines during the summer . However, it's necessary to recover them for the new school year, and this can be achieved without great difficulty or frustration," says Dr. Sergio Pinillos, head of the Pediatrics Department at Quirónsalud Badalona Hospital , on Escuela de familias (Family School ), Quirónsalud's new website.

In this sense, this pediatrician reminds us that there are aspects of daily life that can disrupt routines, such as vacations, illness, changes in family dynamics, or, in general, stressful situations that can disrupt these previously learned habits.

This expert emphasizes that during the summer, when children are out of school, it's common for their routines and sleep schedules to be altered. They go to bed later than usual throughout the year, for example, but also their diet, as they spend more time away from home on vacation, as well as their daily activities.

In her opinion, it's important to return to routines after the summer because they promote children's physical and emotional well-being, such as getting enough sleep and maintaining a balanced diet: "Returning to a routine provides children with stability and security; two aspects that also benefit their nutrition, rest, and general behavior."

This pediatrician at Quirónsalud Badalona Hospital explains that routines foster a predictable and structured environment, which gives children a sense of security, especially important after the disruptions that vacations can bring in this regard.

Dr. Pinillos also emphasizes the importance of resuming routines because this will facilitate the discipline and organization needed to resume the new school year, reducing anxiety and stress and improving academic performance.

Not all children experience the return to school in the same way; some need a little more time and support. On a practical level, Dr. Pinillos, head of the Pediatrics Department at Quirónsalud Badalona Hospital, shares some tips and behavioral strategies that, in his opinion, are key to helping little ones resume the routines they maintained last year:

Planning a gradual adaptation period between the holidays and the start of the school year is useful for all ages:

- Adjust your sleep schedule one or two weeks before starting the course, gradually moving your bedtime and wake-up time forward. Create a calm environment at bedtime by avoiding screen use.

- Restore and maintain regular meal, bath, and rest schedules

- Gradually recover healthy eating habits

- Organize and prepare the study area in a bright and quiet environment, involving the child. The same goes for school supplies (backpack, pencil case, notebooks, etc.).

- Talk naturally about returning to school, reinforcing the positive aspects (friends, learning, new activities, growing up, etc.) and actively listening to their fears if they exist. Make going back to school fun, without making the child feel pressured or judged, and boosting their self-esteem.

- As a general rule, limit the use of screens and encourage outdoor activities.

In addition, there are some useful, creative and fun strategies that complement the above and make it easier to achieve the goal, mainly for the little ones (preschool and primary school, although adaptable to older children):

1. Create a routine wheel where the different activities of daily life are drawn and recorded, such as getting up, having breakfast or getting dressed, so that as they are carried out the child can see the next activity to visualize the rest of the day.

2. Achievement calendar : Design a calendar where you can add drawings, stickers, and stars when your child successfully completes routine activities like eating well or going to bed early. At the end of the week, find time to review these achievements with your child and celebrate with a family activity.

3. Role play : Invent stories in which our little ones are the protagonists and they have to complete certain missions, like the superhero who has to go to sleep early to have lots of energy the next day, or the explorer who has to try new foods. We will make following routines exciting.

4. Surprise box : Place small surprises or notes of encouragement in a box, which the child will discover as they follow established routines. Generate motivation and excitement through the element of surprise.

"Getting back into routines can be a fun and rewarding process. With creativity, patience, and planning, we can help your little one return to their usual rhythm, feeling safe and motivated. Support them on this journey with love and enthusiasm," concludes the head of the Pediatrics Department at Quirónsalud Badalona Hospital.