To not want things to go back to normal next week

I'm struggling with it all. The return to the grindstone, 2025 in general... Normally I'm keen for routine but I just want to cry when I think about this cosy period coming to an end.

Tomorrow morning, I'll have to say that my dad died last year. It feels like consigning him to ancient history. I've never dreaded the turn of a year so much.

There are going to be large-scale redundancies in my sector starting as soon as we get back. I'm beside myself with fear. I love my job and don't want to do anything else. I'm also on a decent salary and can't find anything similar which would come near to this. DH is on minimum wage and even with my salary, we struggle. I'm terrified about our future and all I can see when I think ahead to 2025 is bleakness.

We had a city break booked for February but took the decision to cancel it just in case the worst happens with work. We were able to get most of the money back and the idea of a holiday seemed so frivolous but now I wish there was something to which I could look forward.

Sorry, my reasons seem different to the original post but I read the thread and just had to get my thoughts out. These past days have been so lovely and I've shut out all of the worries and stress but with hours left in 2024, it's all getting to me now.

What days out did you do on?

Same here with DS19 and 17. Will be hard when DS19 goes back.

Absolutely, OP. I love Christmas. I don't want to come back to the UK (we go to Norway for the holidays), don't want to take down the decorations that are up there...we'll be leaving them up until Candlemas. I love my job and everything, it's just Christmas that I hate being over! Always been the same, and more so now I've got kids. It feels like such a special time and it's too short, in my opinion.

We'll be dragging out the celebrations throughout January where we can. Bleak month, I've always hated it! It's not the weather, it's just the feel of it. Blergh!

I don't want it to end either. I love having all my chicks in the nest including dd back from uni (although she's here til feb)
Three of my dc play a ridiculous amount of sport so much if a time in the evenings and weekends is spent on it and it's been lovely having a break from it all.

I totally feel like this! I seem to be surrounded by Kole who can't wait for the kids to go back to school.

I've worked from home and it has been such a relaxing treat.

As of next week it's leave the house at 7 am, get home at 7 pm 🥺

Celebrate what you HAVE HAD,and enjoy it

I'm looking forward to normality being resumed personally.

It's been lovely. I really appreciated just sitting down with the kids doing puzzles and playing games. Also eating together. Our life during term just involves rushing about like headless chickens I feel.

I tend to work through the Christmas and new year period so nothing much changes but I quite like that!

When the dses were younger I dreaded the going back to school bit after every holiday. They struggled and it was nice to have more time.

I changed my job this year so now work 12.5 hour shifts and I think that works much better for me, I enjoy the extra time off, 9-5 never worked for me!

I also have a hopefully warm holiday booked for the end of January which really breaks up the winter.

I find it hard to get over the hump of going back to normality but after a day I move on.

I’m not. I thrive or order and routine. Been really thrown off by the Christmas week. Ready to be back to normal

DH 24, me around the same but self employed so it does vary.

Can I ask how many hours you both work?

This is really good advice. The worry is worse than the actual thing.

Stay in the moment. It's not over yet, and it's a gradually process this year, with only two days before it's the weekend again. Have some plans for your winter weekends, introduce a games night once a week. Tbh the dread of return to normality is usually worse than the reality, as we adjust pretty quickly. Don't spoil your remaining time worrying about it. It will be fine when it comes.

I have mixed feelings really. It's been lovely all being together, and we've managed to get a good balance of days out, seeing friends and family and lazy days relaxing at home. I'm not looking forward to having to get up early in the mornings. But my DC are both Autistic and they benefit from the structure and routine of school. I'm also lucky that I love my job, and I work TTO so can always console myself with the knowledge that I never have to go longer than 8 weeks without a break.

This is good advice, as is this:

The thing is that these times where you’re in a ‘bubble’ are only special because they’re not all the time.

But yes, that first morning in January where the alarm goes off in the pitch dark at 6am and all the Christmas fun is over... it's always a killer.

DH and I have Wednesdays Fridays and Sundays together, I work Thursdays he does childcare (DD 2), he works Saturdays I do childcare. It's literally the best decision we ever made. Can you go part time?

Oh yes , I feel you here. I'm not looking forward to my daughter going back!

Op, get some more time booked off if you can. That's what I'm doing to stave off the dread. I actually don't mind my job and I'll be fine once we all get back into it but it's the thought of it that makes me miserable

Yes same. We went on walks, played board games, watched movies and read books. Slept in late. Cooked at home and ate every meal together. It’s been nice.

Not looking forward to it at all.

The three day week needs to be the way forward. Modern life is hard. We need to get away from the all work no play obsession.

Who invented the two day rest, 5 day week? Sure its the minimum so we don't die.

I do understand but already been back at work two days and ready to embrace new challenges and move into 25. I guess it's special because it's a finite time , too long and the novelty starts to wear off

I always get the January blues. I hate routine, so I hate it when we are forced back into it, and January is such a bleak month.

Some of us don’t get the full two weeks off, so are back at work already. But I am looking forward to the school returning 😀