How Do You Start Over After the Holidays?
January is here, and the holidays have come to an end.. How do you start over after the holidays?
Is it when the decorations finally come down? When vegetables make a cautious return to your plate? Or when your husband goes back to work and you suddenly find yourself at home with a one-month-old baby, a three-year-old toddler, and a Border Collie who thinks every sound requires immediate investigation? (This is our home-life set up).
If January arrived and you stood in your kitchen thinking, “Okay… how does anyone do this?” — you’re not alone.
The holidays have a special talent for quietly dismantling every routine you once had. Suddenly dad is back at work. The house feels different. The rhythm has changed. And mom is home, holding a newborn, negotiating with a toddler who has decided naps are a personal attack, and trying to remember what a “schedule” even looks like.
Life with a one-month-old is beautifully chaotic. The baby eats when they want, sleeps when they feel like it, and has absolutely no interest in your plans to “get back on track.” The three-year-old, on the other hand, has many opinions about everything. Especially naps. Especially routines. Especially being told what to do. And somewhere in the middle of it all, mom is running on coffee, adrenaline, and the quiet hope that tomorrow might feel a little more predictable.
Trying to reset a household all at once turns out to be a terrible idea. We’ve learned that easing back into routine works far better than demanding perfection. The days start around the same time, meals happen when they can, and bedtime follows the same familiar rhythm night after night. Bath, pajamas, story, bed. It doesn’t always go smoothly, but the repetition helps. Slowly, everyone begins to recognize what comes next.
Then there’s the diet reset. After weeks of holiday treats, leftover desserts, and “emergency chocolate,” the fridge tells a very honest story. Instead of going full health overhaul, we’re choosing gentler changes. Adding fruits and vegetables back in, keeping meals simple, and drinking more water than coffee — or at least trying to. The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is making it through the afternoon without completely crashing.
Of course, none of this happens quietly. The Border Collie has thoughts about the new routine. He loved having everyone home and is deeply confused by the sudden disappearance of dad each morning. He believes the baby requires supervision at all times and that the toddler should never be left unattended, ever. Snacks must be shared. Walks become part of the routine not just for him, but for the sanity of the entire house.
Through all of this, one thing continues to help more than expected: familiarity. Kids crave routine, even when they push back against it. Music, especially, has a way of grounding the day. Familiar songs signal transitions, calm busy moments, and bring a sense of rhythm back into the chaos. That’s exactly why BoomBooms Tunes exists — to help families find their groove again in the middle of real life. Not perfect life. Real, messy, loud life.
Some days the routine sticks. Other days it falls apart by breakfast. Both are normal. Both count.
If your house still feels loud and unfinished, you’re doing great. If naps are inconsistent, welcome to the club. If you’re trying to rebuild a routine while caring for a newborn and a toddler, you are doing something incredibly hard — and doing it well.
Starting over after the holidays isn’t about snapping back overnight. It’s about small moments, familiar rhythms, and giving yourself grace during a season that’s already demanding enough.
We’ll get there. Eventually. Probably closer to spring.
Until then, keep singing, snack responsibly (ish), and remember:
You’re doing an amazing job.
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💛 BoomBooms Tunes
