The week between Christmas and New Year with bored kids
Christmas Day has a shape everyone knows. The six days after it do not, and that is exactly why they drag.
The new toys stop being enough by day two
Novelty wears off fast at this age, and a house full of new things does not solve a whole week on its own. Plan for the second half of the week, not just the first.
Pick one thing to do each day, out loud, at breakfast
Naming the one thing for today — a walk, a visit, a specific game — at breakfast gives the day a landmark. Without it, every day in this stretch looks identical, which is a large part of why it feels endless.
Use the leftover wrapping and boxes as the activity, not the rubbish
A big box is a den, a car, a shop counter for days. Delay the recycling run by a week and it quietly becomes free entertainment instead of a chore.
Questions people ask
Should we keep a normal bedtime this week?
Mostly, yes — a week with no bedtime at all tends to make the return to school or nursery afterward much harder. A little later than usual is a reasonable compromise.
Is it fine to just let the television run for most of this week?
That is your call to make for your own household, not ours. If it is working for you, it is working.
More like this
Thanksgiving with a child who will not eat anything on the tableHow to structure the school summer holidays with young childrenPart of our guide to Filling the unstructured days.