My little girl is done, she’s done with time off from the child minders, she’s done with Christmas and she’s done with the holidays.

Toddler P and me have had a great break but this time of year, the post Christmas pre-back to work lull its tiresome. It’s good having these few days to take down the decs, prep for next term and to have a good spring clean and clear out making way for the new toys, clothes and gifts. But it’s also time to get back to reality and into a routine. Toddler P is ready for it.

She’s had nearly 3 weeks off what with the nasty flu bug hitting so is really ready for it. Yes we’ve done things and little miss P has seen her friends and socialised but she’s ready for not being at home any more. She’s ready for the stimulation and interaction of her weekly peers. She’s ready for a proper routine of coming and going from work/school/dancing/Aunty M’s and Granny T’s. She’s struggling, we’re having dramatic meltdowns and falls to the floor via a drop to the knees and her head in her hands like a scene from an ITV drama (yes I know you’re all wondering where she gets these Oscar winning performances from #likemotherlikedaughter) over the smallest of things. She just can’t cope with the word no or criticism right now, she’s being overly sensitive and missing the point of what’s being said to her. She’s tetchy, she’s tired and she’s ready to get back to it.

I get it, I’m there with her. I need to get into a normal routine to kick start back my energy and motivation. The Christmas period although fun has left me feeling lethargic and I need to get back into normality. I don’t need anymore mornings in pjs, I need to get back to it. So I understand her upset and frustration a bit more and in theory this should make them a bit more easy to handle (just not the other day in the car park trying to strap her in the car seat).

It’s also the build up that doesn’t help, December is crazy for kids, Christmas is rammed down their throats everywhere, school, tv, childminders, dancing, shops, day trips out, visits to Santa, decorating the house. You name it, it’s a hype them up message from the fat man in a red suit. We all wined them up ready for the big day, building it up into a month of excitement and anticipation and then just like it, it’s over. It’s done. I think the come down from it all is hard for kids, the overexcitement and stimulation to then be brought back to reality with a bang is hard enough for adults let alone a 2 year old.

So as calm and routine resumes and as much as the festive season was wonderful, toddler P and I are ready to get back to the daily grind, we’re ready for a sense of normality…that is until my alarm goes off on Monday morning!