In just a few days school vacation will be here and small beings will be with their families for countless days.  So many wonderful and fun situations come along with this time.  Some challenges may also be part of long school breaks.  One way to make the challenging part smoother is to create structure for your small being.

There are several different ways to create structure.  Think about your own needs for structure.  How long could you last without your calendar? Me, not even a day.  How long could you last without your to do list? Me, maybe a week before life became very messy.  Create an age appropriate version of these useful tools for your small being!

Create a calendar that hands on the wall with big events listed.  If you are traveling, take it with you.  Each day, look at the calendar and talk about what events are happening today and what is coming.  Note things like travel or family visiting or returning to school.  You can also create a to do list with your small being.  I tend to do this for specific chunks of time…either for one full day, half a day or for an hour, depending on the age of the small being.  This lets your small being know what is coming next.  If changes happen (and they will) talk to your small being and revise the to do list and calendar.  Flexibility is part of creating structure.

Happy Holidays!