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Back-to-school season brings a fresh start, but it also asks families to shift from relaxed summer days to earlier mornings, structured timetables and new expectations. Preparing gradually can make the transition feel calmer for both children and parents. However, even with preparation, children may come home emotional after appearing perfectly settled all day. Jennifer Hogan, Director of Family Entertainment at Hattan Group and Lemonade Play, shares her insights on the back-to-school adjustment and on supporting families as children adapt to new classrooms, teachers, routines, friendships, and expectations.
Why the first weeks back can feel harder than expected
Children spend the school day listening, concentrating, managing impulses, following routines and navigating friendships. Each demand uses cognitive and emotional energy, so by the time they arrive home, even a small request can feel like one task too many. “Parents often think, ‘They were fine at school, so why are they behaving like this at home?'” says Hogan. “But children may have spent the entire day managing expectations, relationships and emotions. Home can be where they finally feel safe enough to release some of that pressure.”
Hogan recommends beginning with a decompression window: low-pressure time to snack, reconnect, move, daydream, be quiet or simply switch off without a screen.
Five ways to navigate the back-to-school adjustment
1. Give them a decompression window. Allow 20 to 30 minutes for a snack, quiet, movement, or connection before homework and questions.
2. Do not demand a full report. If “How was school?” gets an “I do not know,” give them time to process rather than pushing for answers.
3. Offer an invitation to play. Leave out simple materials such as colouring pencils, blocks or magnetic tiles and let curiosity lead.
4. Let them repeat themselves. Repeated games can build mastery, predictability, and confidence, so avoid tidying before they have finished.
5. Connect before you correct. A snack, cuddle, laugh or ten minutes of play may work better than another instruction.
A little space to reset
Once a child is relaxed and ready to engage, Hogan advises parents to resist becoming the entertainment director. “Children do not come home from school empty. They come carrying a whole day of experiences. Sometimes they need to talk, move or play. And sometimes they simply need to be still.” says Jennifer.
Child-led play gives children room to choose, repeat, imagine and experiment at their own pace. It can be as simple as leaving materials within reach at home or creating space in the weekly routine for open-ended discovery. The goal in the end, is not to eliminate every meltdown or make every afternoon perfectly calm. It is to understand what may be underneath the behaviour and create enough time, space and connection for children to come back to themselves. This philosophy sits at the heart of Lemonade Play, where discovery zones are designed to encourage meaningful, hands-on play without turning every moment into a lesson or performance. For families looking to make play part of the school-week rhythm, Lemonade welcomes pay-and-play visits and offers flexible play plans and memberships across its UAE locations.
Lemonade Play is located at Arabian Center and Triple 777 Center in Dubai, and Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi. For visits, bookings, and current play options, please visit www.lemonadeplay.ae or follow @lemonadeplayuae.