Suddenly Sunday

Why the day before school starts can feel harder than the day itself.

I have a name for that day at the end of the Christmas holidays when everything suddenly feels very close and very loud.

I call it Suddenly Sunday.

It’s the day where you’ve known for weeks that school is coming back, but your nervous system seems genuinely surprised by it. One minute you’re still half in holiday mode, the house feels cosy and slow, and the next your brain is trying to fast-forward into routines, expectations, and a version of life that hasn’t existed for a couple of weeks.

For parents of neurospicy kids, Suddenly Sunday can feel like a lot.

You’re not just thinking about practical things like bedtimes, uniforms, and bags. You’re also holding the emotional weight of what school represents for your child. The anticipation, the anxiety, the resistance, the questions, the what-ifs. You’re doing the mental gymnastics of staying upbeat and reassuring while quietly wondering how the next few days are actually going to go.

And all of that happens before you’ve even taken a bauble off the tree.

What often makes Suddenly Sunday harder than the first actual school day is that it’s full of anticipation rather than action. Nothing has happened yet, but everything feels imminent. Brains that like predictability and gentler transitions, don't enjoy this limbo state at all.

Add in the fact that Christmas has usually loosened routines completely, and it can feel like you’re trying to rebuild a structure from scratch while everyone is still tired, a bit emotional, and not especially keen.

If this is you today, I want to gently say this first.

You are not failing to get organised, nor are you 'behind'. There is no 'doing this wrong',

it's simply a transition to the next thing, and we all know how tricky they can be!

Neurospicy brains, both children’s and adults’, tend to feel transitions more intensely. Switching states takes energy. Moving from flexible, slow, sensory-rich days back into timetables, expectations, and demands is a big ask, especially when it’s done quickly and all at once.

That doesn’t mean routines are bad or that structure isn’t helpful. It just means that the way we return to them matters.

On Suddenly Sunday, it can really help to let go of the idea that everything needs to be back in place immediately. This is not a reset button, it’s more like a gentle re-entry (think of the space capsule gently floating back down to the sea).

One of the kindest things you can do today is choose just one thing for the day. DO not try to do everything at once. That could be nudging bedtime a little earlier rather than aiming for perfection. It might be laying out uniform together without insisting it all goes smoothly. It might be talking through the week ahead in a calm, factual way without trying to sell it as magical and amazing.

Small steps count more than grand plans on days like this.

It can also help to remember that emotions are likely to be closer to the surface. Your child may be more tearful, more irritable, or more withdrawn than usual. That doesn’t necessarily mean school is going to be a disaster. It often means their nervous system is busy processing change.

You might notice the same in yourself, I know I do. Don't underestimate how much we pick up from the emotions of our children.

Parents often tell me that Suddenly Sunday is when they feel most tired, most snappy, or most overwhelmed. You’ve been holding everything together over Christmas, often without the usual external structure to help you, and now you’re being asked to switch roles again.

That’s a lot for one day.

If taking the Christmas decorations down feels like too much, it’s okay to leave them a little longer. If it causes big feelings, it’s okay to do it in stages. There is no rule that says everything must be packed away before school starts. Emotional safety is far more important than visual order.

It can also help to lower expectations around how smoothly conversations go. You don’t need the perfect script or to have all the answers. Sometimes simply acknowledging that going back feels hard is more regulating than any amount of positivity.

“I know this is tricky” can land much more gently than “It’ll be fine”.

As the week begins, try to think in terms of rhythm rather than routine. Rhythm allows for wobble. It gives you something to return to without demanding precision. Routine can come later, once everyone’s feet are back on the ground.

And please include yourself in that care.

Suddenly Sunday is not just about getting children ready. It’s about parents shifting gears too. You’re allowed to feel reluctant, tired, or a bit fed up that the bubble has burst. None of that takes away from how much you love your child or how committed you are to supporting them.

This day passes, promise!

The sharp edge of it softens once action replaces anticipation. The first morning comes and goes. The first school day ends. Things begin to settle, not because everything is perfect, but because movement helps.

So if today feels wobbly, slow, or emotional, that makes sense. You’re certainly not failing to cope and you are absolutely not alone.