Vacation is over! What now?

I don't want to sleep early! I don't want to do homework! Where's my iPad, mom? Where did you keep my backpack, Dad?

For some, every new term is the same hustle and bustle. Many parents wonder: is it possible to resume the routine and discipline necessary for the new school year with the least likely wear and tear on family relationships?

Is it worth trying? Maybe the first step could be in the direction of knowing what doesn't work and what's no use trying. Do you remember it? With that list in hand, the next step could be thinking about what has already helped in the past in similar situations.

For some families, it is crucial to choose priorities and commit to following them. Others prefer involving their kids in creating boundaries -for them, this is the secret behind the peaceful end of weekdays. It seems that following a plan we helped create is more interesting than following rules made by others.

Regardless of your strategy, the fact is that resuming any routine is difficult. At first, our brain resists, and when fatigue sets in, we become less patient, and conflicts arise.

This morning, the mother of a naughty child told me that the important thing was to talk about criteria when electing priorities, even with the little ones: what comes first, what comes after, and what can be postponed. For this family, knowing how to PRIORITIZE seems to make a difference after all.

Is it possible to make more time for what matters in each one's life? Maybe... But it's worth remembering that we're not always able to do EVERYTHING that is considered ideal, all at the same time; however, that shouldn't stop us from being committed to doing what's possible and having fun along the way.

Happy new term!

Vanessa Meirelles

Psychopedagogue Researcher of Human Identity

Master in Social Psychology from PUC São Paulo

Member of the Brazilian Association of Psychopedagogy - ABPp 722