For many families, school breaks arrive with mixed emotions. There’s relief that the pace is about to slow, gratitude for time together, and often an undercurrent of anxiety about what should happen during that time. Many parents find themselves wondering how to help kids rest during school breaks, especially when schoolwork, expectations, and the transition back to routines are already looming.
According to Dr. Mary Corbelli, the answer, particularly during a short school break, is often simpler than we think: honor the break.
That doesn’t mean nothing ever gets done. But it does mean being thoughtful about when, how, and how much school-related work enters your child’s mental and emotional space. Learning how to help kids rest during school breaks starts with recognizing that the goal isn’t just time off; it’s true restoration.
Breaks Are Not the Time for Enrichment Battles
If you’re considering enrichment activities, extra academic projects, or optional résumé-building tasks during a one- or two-week school break, Mary’s advice is clear: this usually isn’t the hill to die on. Summer can be a different story. But during a short break in the middle of a demanding school year, helping kids rest during school breaks often matters far more than adding one more item to their to-do list.
That pause allows kids to reset emotionally, not just physically. Even students who look relaxed on the couch, out with friends, or sleeping late may still be carrying anxious anticipation about what’s waiting for them when school resumes. Understanding how to help kids rest during school breaks means acknowledging that rest is happening internally, even when it doesn’t look productive on the surface.
If Work Must Happen, Preview Early, Then Drop It
Sometimes, of course, there is work that truly has to happen over break. In those cases, one of the most effective ways to help kids rest during school breaks is to be strategic about timing and communication.
Mary recommends previewing expectations a few days ahead of time, while your child is still in the busy push toward the finish line. Acknowledge how overloaded they’re feeling, name the moment when break officially begins, and be explicit about what comes next. For example, once school wraps up on Friday, they’re fully in break mode. Then, after the holidays, after travel or visitors, there will be a specific window, perhaps a day or two, set aside for certain tasks.
The key is what happens after that preview: you let it go.
Bringing up work as soon as break starts can undermine efforts to help kids rest during school breaks. Even gentle reminders interrupt the emotional exhale kids are craving. Trust that the work is already somewhere in their mind. What they need from you is fewer verbal and visual reminders, not more.
Let the Break Be a Break
Once break begins, allow your child to fully enter whatever mode your family is in: traveling, hosting relatives, staying home, celebrating, or enjoying quiet time. One of the simplest ways to help kids rest during school breaks is to resist weaving school talk into these days, especially early on.
This includes conversations with extended family and friends. If school comes up, focus on celebrating your child’s efforts and accomplishments without projecting ahead. Avoid comments like, “They’re doing great; next week they’ll be diving back into math.” If your child brings up school on their own, follow their lead. Otherwise, protecting their emotional space helps kids rest during school breaks more deeply than we often realize.
Expect Resistance, and Know That It’s Normal
When the time you previewed finally arrives and it’s time to shift back into work mode, expect some resistance. This tension is a normal part of transitions, and it doesn’t mean the break failed. In fact, learning how to help kids rest during school breaks includes expecting that moving back into effort will feel uncomfortable.
This is where parental support matters most. Set expectations clearly and calmly. If it helps, it’s okay to attach an external motivator, such as a reward, an experience, or something to look forward to once the work is done. Supporting motivation doesn’t mean eliminating discomfort; it means being steady and present as your child works through it.
Pay attention to timing, too. If mornings aren’t when your child works best, don’t insist on them. Create a workspace ahead of time, consider making it family work time, and meet your child where they are most likely to succeed. Celebrating small steps reinforces that helping kids rest during school breaks and supporting responsibility can coexist.
Protect the Days Right Before School Starts
One of Mary’s strongest recommendations for how to help kids rest during school breaks is to protect the final few days before school resumes. If possible, make that last weekend completely work-free. Encourage your child to finish any necessary tasks earlier in the break, then help them pack everything away, backpack zipped, materials out of sight, school physically and mentally contained.
This “out of sight, out of mind” reset gives kids the chance to truly rest during school breaks before returning to routines and expectations. Even if you don’t see immediate results, this kind of emotional restoration often shows up later as improved focus, resilience, and readiness.
Rest Is Productive, Even When It Doesn’t Look Like It
Helping kids rest during school breaks doesn’t mean lowering expectations or letting kids off the hook. It means recognizing that rest is not the absence of growth; it’s a condition for it.
When families intentionally create space to help kids rest during school breaks, students return more grounded, more regulated, and better equipped to re-engage. And that kind of rest is one of the most powerful supports we can offer during a demanding school year.
