Helping Your Teen Stay Grounded Over Thanksgiving Break

Have you ever watched your teen glide into a school break with huge relief, only to crash into a wall of overwhelm the night before returning? Thanksgiving break, as cozy and heart-filling as it can be, can also be a tricky stretch for neurodivergent learners.

Parents often tell us, “They finally get a week off… and then everything falls apart. Routines disappear, motivation plummets, and the Sunday scaries start creeping in.”

And honestly? It makes complete sense.

Our kids work so hard during the fall months. October and November are academically dense, socially busy, and emotionally heavy. By the time Thanksgiving arrives, they’re exhausted. They need rest. But too much unstructured downtime? That’s where the disconnection, shutdowns, and anxiety kick in—especially for teens and young adults with ADHD or executive function challenges.

The good news is: you can support your child in a way that honors their need for rest and helps them return to school without feeling like they’ve hit a brick wall.

At WeThrive Learning, we rely on what we call The Three R’s of Break-Time Support: Rest, Responsibility, and Re-Engagement.

These three pillars help your child recharge, stay grounded, and step back into December with confidence.

1. Rest: Let Them Recharge Without Losing Their Rhythm

Thanksgiving break is often the first real pause your child has had since the school year began. Between cumulative tests, final projects, and teachers trying to complete entire units before the holiday, the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving can feel like an academic sprint.

So yes, your child needs rest. Deep rest. Both kinds:

Passive Rest:

Sleeping in. Cozy mornings. Watching movies. Reading for fun. Fully vegging out. This is the nervous system’s reset button. Let them push it—guilt-free.

Active Rest:

Light movement like walking, stretching, gentle workouts, a stroll around the mall, or helping put up holiday decorations. Movement helps regulate the brain, stabilize mood, and maintain energy levels.

At WeThrive, we recommend designating one full “reset day” early in the break. A true permission slip:

• Sleep in as long as you want

• Watch what you want

• Lounge

• Snack

• Do nothing productive

Reset days restore capacity. They refill the tank. And they also make the next steps—responsibility and re-engagement—much easier.

After that one full reset day? Aim for a mix of passive and active rest throughout the remaining days so your child is rejuvenated, not dysregulated.

2. Responsibility: Keeping Executive Function Skills Alive (Without Being the Drill Sergeant)

Here’s the tricky thing about breaks: School provides structure automatically. Breaks don’t.

And for students with ADHD or executive function weaknesses, structure isn’t a luxury—it’s the scaffolding that keeps motivation, planning, and follow-through intact.

When that scaffolding disappears, many teens:

• Sleep until noon

• Stay in their rooms

• Avoid tasks

• Forget homework

• Disconnect from responsibilities

• 
  

• Lose all momentum

This isn’t laziness. It’s the brain looking for clarity and not finding any.

So instead of micromanaging, we gently maintain light, predictable responsibilities to keep executive functioning active enough to ease the transition back.

Where to Start: Maintain Their Usual Responsibilities

This might include:

• Laundry

• Tidying their space

• Helping with errands

• Cleaning up after themselves

• Contributing to Thanksgiving prep

• Managing their morning routine, even if later than usual

These aren’t punishments—they’re anchors.

The 10-Minute Rule (Your Secret Break-Time Superpower)

When motivation is low (and it will be), use the 10-minute rule:

“Let’s just do this for 10 minutes. After that, you can stop if you want.”

It removes overwhelm, activates momentum, and helps the brain shift into task mode.

And yes—body doubling helps tremendously.Do your own small task next to them while they complete theirs.

Holiday Prep = Executive Function Gold

Holiday tasks are actually amazing EF skill boosters:

• Wrapping gifts

• Choosing presents

• Planning a dish to cook

• Setting the table

• Making a grocery list

• Helping decorate

• Organizing a small outing

These tasks require planning, sequencing, time management, decision making, problem solving, and flexibility. And?Teens usually find them more fun than “chores.”

So responsibilities don’t have to feel heavy—they can feel meaningful and festive.

3. Re-Engagement: Keeping the Brain Active in Gentle, Interest-Based Ways

This is where we help your child stay connected to learning—but in ways that feel engaging, not demanding.

The brain is a use-it-or-lose-it organ. When we stop using our EF systems entirely, reactivation is hard.

But when we gently exercise those systems during breaks, even in bite-sized ways, reentry becomes smoother.

Use Interest-Based Learning

Lean into what your child naturally enjoys:

• Audiobooks or podcasts during drives

• Documentaries tied to their passions

• Cooking (math + planning + sequencing)

• Visiting museums or exhibits

• Creative projects

• Crafts or building

• Volunteering

• Learning through real-world experiences

Kids learn best when they care about the content.

Interest-based learning also helps:

• Reduce screen time battles

• Increase connection

• Inspire curiosity

• Strengthen executive skills through natural engagement

If They Have Homework or Tests After Break…

Many teachers assign work due the week after Thanksgiving or schedule tests immediately on return. (Parents tell us every year: “It feels unfair!” And yes, it does—but it’s common.)

To prevent last-minute panic, set a gentle expectation:

“You can choose when you do it, but it needs to be done by noon each day.”

Most teens prefer working late at night. We know.But late-night work drains motivation and leaves them exhausted for the next day.

“Noon rules” protect energy and keep the task from looming.

Keep a Visual Calendar Out

This helps reduce dread and surprises. Teens often lose track of:

• What day it is

• When school restarts

• How much time they have

• How fast responsibilities are approaching

A simple family calendar helps the brain process the transition back gradually—not all in one stressful moment.

Avoiding the “Break Hangover”: Preparing for the Return to School

The days leading up to the end of break are the most critical. This is where you can prevent the emotional crash that so many teens experience Sunday night.

Here’s what we recommend:

1. Do a Reset Day Before School Starts

Just like the first one—except now it supports the transition back into structure.Let them relax fully so their nervous system is calm before reentry.

2. Recalibrate Bedtime and Wake Time Slowly

Three to four days before school, begin shifting sleep schedules:

• Bed 15–30 minutes earlier

• Wake 15–30 minutes earlier

• Re-establish nighttime routines

• Reduce screens one hour before bed

• Reintroduce quiet, grounding activities

It will feel tough—go in with compassion.

3. Go Over the December Calendar Together

Students with ADHD often feel blindsided by:

• Tests

• Projects

• Performances

• Social commitments

• Finals

• Holiday events

• Travel

• End-of-year deadlines

Previewing December helps the brain prepare and reduces anxiety.

4. Pack Backpacks or Organize School Materials Early

Do this on Saturday or Sunday morning—not late Sunday night when everyone is tired.

Teach your child to ask:

• “What’s coming up the first week back?”

• “Do I have anything due?”

• “Do I have supplies ready?”

5. Connect Tasks to Something They Enjoy

Motivation is easier when it’s paired with something positive.

“The earlier you get up, the more time you have to read your favorite book before school.”

or

“Let’s grab hot chocolate after you’re dressed and ready.”

Small joys matter.

Final Thoughts: Thanksgiving Break Doesn’t Have to Mean Losing Momentum

Breaks are meant to restore our kids—not derail them.

When you use the three R’s—Rest, Responsibility, and Re-Engagement—you give your child both what they want and what their brain needs:

✨ Time to truly recharge

✨ Enough structure to stay grounded

✨ Gentle engagement that keeps their mind active

✨ A smoother, calmer transition back to school

This Thanksgiving, your child can rest, play, enjoy the holiday, and still return to school with confidence and clarity.

And you don’t have to micromanage, nag, or feel like the “break police.”

You’re guiding them—and doing it with love, connection, and understanding.

From all of us at WeThrive Learning:We’re wishing you a warm, restful, connection-filled holiday week. You deserve it just as much as your child does. 💛