Right now, you might just be focusing on making it through the holidays, especially if your kids are out of school for a week or so. Who has time to worry about routine? Even though the temptation is strong to let schedules slide during this most wonderful time of the year, here are a few reasons that sticking with the routine, even during the holidays, will be best for your kids and for you.
Stick to your routine. Kids with ADHD and ASD do better with a routine. That is a fact. If you let them stay up late and forego the alarm clock, not only will you have a hard time getting them back on track when it is time to return to school, but you will also find that their behavior is more likely to become a problem. Since they won’t have homework, they will have plenty of time to play before heading to bed at their normal time.
Prepare them for changes. Unfortunately, with all of the activities at school, at home and in the community that accompany this season, sticking to your usual schedule might be impossible. If your routine is going to change, prepare your kids in advance.
Plan for downtime. While many of us, especially children, look forward to the holidays and the hustle and bustle of activities and parties, everyone needs some downtime. Limit the activities your family will be involved in, and make sure that there is some downtime each day.
No matter how you celebrate the holidays, there will probably be some stress involved. Following the usual routine will add some calm to what can otherwise become a rather chaotic though festive few weeks.