Supporting your child's wellbeing over the winter holidays

The winter holidays can be an exciting yet demanding time for families. Alongside the anticipation of Christmas, the season also brings unique challenges such as shorter daylight hours, cold and unpredictable weather, increased winter illnesses, and a break from the familiar structure of the school routine.

These changes can have a noticeable impact on children’s emotions, behaviour and regulation, particularly for those who rely on predictability and consistency.

Winter holidays

School holidays are often seen as a welcome break from the intensity of term time. In winter, darker afternoons, colder temperatures and a rise in seasonal illnesses mean families may feel ready for a slower pace.

For some children, the build-up to Christmas can bring additional overwhelm and worry, as they navigate festivities such as loud performances, bright decorations and unexpected changes to the school day.

For children who thrive on the predictability of school routines, the winter holidays can bring new challenges: days with less structure, limited outdoor activity and increased social and sensory demands, which can leave some children feeling more anxious or dysregulated. These changes to your child’s emotions and behaviour can heighten your own worries as a parent.

Daily transitions

Daily transitions are small routine shifts that are frequent throughout the day and can feel more difficult for neurodivergent children due to changes in focus, expectations, or environment.

Some children struggle with shifting between everyday tasks, such as switching off their device to come to the dinner table. During winter holidays, this can be more noticeable because of the lack of a structured and familiar routine.

Your child may experience greater difficulties, especially when transitioning from a more preferred to less preferred task, or from a familiar activity to something unfamiliar.

Getting ready for the day

It’s common for children to experience challenges with skills such as planning and organisation, as the area of their brain responsible for these skills (the prefrontal cortex) is still developing.

Winter can make these struggles more evident: darker mornings make waking up more difficult, colder bedrooms and bathrooms can magnify sensory challenges, and layering up in multiple textures of clothing can feel irritating or even overwhelming, making seemingly simple tasks such as getting ready for the day more challenging.

Finding balance during the winter break

The winter holidays can be a joyful time, but they can also bring challenges such as sensory overload, illness and emotional or behavioural difficulties. Both you and your child may feel stretched at times, but small, thoughtful adjustments can go a long way in helping your child feel grounded and safe.

There’s no need for perfection; just your steady presence, realistic expectations, and gentle compassion can go a long way to supporting your child’s wellbeing through the winter holidays.

Whether your child is thriving with the freedom of the winter holidays or is looking forward to the structure of the new term, understanding their individual needs, from emotional regulation to self-esteem, is the best starting point for supporting them.