January and the return. What the ten-day adjustment actually is.

The first week back after Christmas is predictably difficult. My son knows this — we've talked about it enough that he has a framework for it. The framework is: it takes about ten days. The first three days are the hardest. By day seven you're mostly through it. By day ten you've forgotten it was difficult.

This framework is useful because it makes the difficulty temporary and specific. 'This is hard' and 'this is hard for ten days' are different experiences. The second one has an endpoint. The endpoint is what the first week of January needs.

The ten-day adjustment is not unique to children. Adults experience it too — the return from Christmas feels effortful because the holiday has allowed the circadian system to drift, the household rhythm to relax, and the social demands to reduce. Re-entering all of these simultaneously is a genuine load. This is the specific thing that produces the change. The change comes from the practice. The practice comes from the decision to try it once, this week, in the ordinary moment that is already available. This is the specific thing that produces the change. The change comes from the practice. The practice comes from the decision to try it once, this week, in the