Recently, my husband and I took a trip to Puerto Rico. While planning the getaway, we knew exactly what we were searching for: relief from the cold winter climate where we live and the chance to soak in warmth, sunshine.

Now that we’re back home, the darkness, cold, and gloom have returned to the forefront. And with that return has come a noticeable shift in my mood and energy. It has made me reflect on how change, even positive change, impacts our emotions, behaviors, and overall sense of regulation, and what it truly takes to “turn it around.”

My situation is admittedly specific. This was a vacation that required major travel and brought a dramatic shift in weather, time zones, and daily rhythm. But in many ways, it mirrors what so many others experience during a “break.” Whether we call it Winter Break, Spring Break, or Summer Break, a break is ultimately a disruption to the consistency we’ve grown used to.

School, work, and home life often follow predictable patterns. We move through the same routines; class on certain days, work on others, drop-offs and pick-ups, and everything in between. We prepare for these routines. We talk about them, schedule them, plan around them. So when a break arrives, we feel the shift almost immediately. Something changes.

That change may look different for everyone, but we lean into it. We settle in. We allow ourselves to enjoy it. After all, we’ve earned it. But once comfort takes hold, once we fully exhale, the break ends. And regardless of how ready we feel, the switch back must be made. We are thrown back into the routine we intentionally stepped away from.

As adults, this transition is challenging, but it’s expected. We mentally prepare for it. We may take an extra day or two off to recover, reset and ease ourselves back into reality. We understand what’s coming.

For young children, however, it isn’t nearly as simple.

Emotions that were once settled begin to resurface. Anxiety creeps in. They’ve spent time at home with their families, immersed in comfort… whatever “home life” looks like for them. And suddenly, they’re asked to return to school. A place they may only vaguely remember. A classroom, a teacher, peers, expectations… all of it reappearing at once.

In this state of mind, everything feels harder. Learning. Listening. Making choices. Regulating emotions. We see it on their faces and through their behaviors and actions. We hear it in their words. And, we cannot fault them for it.

Instead, we must remain calm. We must nurture. We must keep them safe. This is when sensory experiences matter most. When play becomes essential. When routine becomes the anchor; even if that routine needs some flexibility. Maybe it means ending group time early, offering an extra snack, or slowing the pace more than usual. These are not errors they are supports.

Coming back to reality is hard.

That break; that sunshine, that ocean breeze, that moment of rest, is really important. We all need time to recharge and reconnect with joy. But as we return to the constant, to what we once desperately needed a break from, we must remember to extend kindness; to ourselves and to others, especially our children.

One step at a time.

One moment at a time.

We will find our footing again.