Returning to nursery, childminders, or school after the holidays can be a challenging transition for many young children. While holidays offer valuable family time and flexibility, changes to routine can impact emotional wellbeing, attachment, and behaviour. Understanding how to support children during this transition is essential for parents and early years practitioners.
Why Children Struggle After the Holidays
During holiday periods, children often experience disrupted sleep routines, irregular mealtimes, fewer separations, and less predictable days. These changes can affect emotional regulation and attachment security, particularly in the early years when routine and consistency are key to feeling safe.
It is common to see separation anxiety in nursery children, increased clinginess, emotional outbursts, tiredness, or withdrawal when children return to early years settings. These behaviours are not signs of poor behaviour but normal responses to change and readjustment.
Attachment and Routine in the Early Years
Attachment theory highlights the importance of secure relationships in helping children manage transitions. After spending extended time with parents or carers during the holidays, returning to childcare or school can feel emotionally overwhelming.
Children may need reassurance that their caregiver will return and that their early years setting remains a safe and predictable environment. Supporting attachment during transitions helps children rebuild confidence and emotional security.
How Parents Can Help Children Settle Back Into Nursery or School
Parents can support a smooth transition back to routine by gently reintroducing regular sleep and mealtimes before returning. Talking positively about nursery or school and naming children’s emotions can help them feel understood and supported.
Consistent goodbye routines, reassurance, and patience are essential. Supporting children with separation anxiety requires calm, predictable responses and time to adjust.
How Early Years Practitioners Can Support Emotional Wellbeing
Early years practitioners play a crucial role in supporting children returning to nursery after holidays. Focusing on emotional wellbeing in the early years means prioritising connection before expectations.
Effective early years transition support includes maintaining consistent routines, offering reassurance, using visual timetables, and reducing demands while children rebuild emotional regulation. Attachment-informed and trauma-informed practice supports children’s emotional needs and helps them re-engage with learning.
Regulation Before Learning
Children cannot engage in learning if they do not feel emotionally safe. Supporting emotional regulation in children is a core part of early childhood education. When children feel secure, learning and positive behaviour naturally follow.
Supporting Transitions in Early Years Settings
Transitions are a normal part of early childhood education. With consistent routines, emotional support, and understanding, children can successfully settle back into nursery, school, or childminder settings after the holidays.
At Little Sparks eLearning, we support early years professionals with online CPD training focused on attachment-informed practice, child development, and emotional wellbeing in early years settings.
Children do not need to snap back into routine. They need support, connection, and time to feel safe within it.
