Christmas doesn’t end neatly for young children.
For us, it may feel like a clear finish line — decorations down, routines back, a fresh start to the year.
But for young children, Christmas is something entirely different.
It’s been weeks of songs, lights, stories, visitors, excitement, late nights, disrupted rhythms — and then suddenly… it’s over.
And developmentally, that’s a lot to process.
Children need time to live their experiences before they can play them through
Young children don’t process experiences in the moment — they process them afterwards, through play, repetition, talk and storytelling.
That’s why January can feel wobbly.
My own three-year-old is still singing his favourite Christmas songs — the ones that brought smiles, praise and attention just last week. Now he’s confused when those same songs don’t get the same response anymore.
Nothing is “wrong” here.
This is how learning works.
Children replay what mattered to them.
They return to it again and again until it settles.
January doesn’t need a full reset
Despite what we often feel pressured to do, January doesn’t need to be about wiping the slate clean.
You don’t need:
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brand-new invitations to play
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a rushed return to “normal”
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a classroom or home stripped of familiar resources
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children to instantly move on
In fact, doing so can make the transition harder.
A gentler way to approach January
Instead of rushing forward, try softening back in.
✨ Leave space for children to retell their Christmas experiences
Through role play, small world, drawing, singing and storytelling.
✨ Keep familiar resources available
Let children decide when they’re finished — not the calendar.
✨ Prioritise talk, reconnection and child-led play
These rebuild emotional safety after busy, unpredictable weeks.
✨ Be especially gentle at drop-off
Big transitions often show up as big feelings, not “behaviour”.
When we slow the pace, children feel held.
When children feel held, they settle more easily.
Slow beginnings matter 🤍
January isn’t about pushing children forward.
It’s about helping them land.
A slow, nurturing start creates calmer days, deeper play, and more regulated children — and adults too.
If you’re craving a slower, more intentional approach to early years practice, rooted in wellbeing and child development, you can explore my training and resources here:
🌿 www.hyggeintheearlyyears.co.uk
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do…
is give children time.
