After a very long holiday break which might have included travel, parties, too many gifts, too much food, and a series of late nights at sleepovers, it is predictable that some children have trouble getting back into their school routine. School, compared to a very entertaining winter holiday, can feel very hard to tolerate for some kids, especially those who feel that they know what they want and don't want.

In my work, I have heard far too many times, from children of all ages, “School is worthless; I can learn what I want to learn on my own. I did learn on my own during COVID.” What's more, at home, the rules are more relaxed, food is easily available, and getting dressed in rags causes no penalties. At school, there may be mean teachers and classmates, too much homework, boring subjects, and end-of-day exhaustion.

Parents, therefore, may have to face the resistance that their child or children will have upon returning to school in the........

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