5 Winter Break Survival Tips for Living at Home (Again)

I love going home for school breaks. I love seeing my family and friends, and I sincerely just love being home. However, I have found that there are many other people who don’t feel the same way. They don’t mind going home for a day or two, but for them, three weeks of winter break back home sounds awful. So, to help make that transition back to living at home go a bit more smoothly, I am sharing 5 winter break survival tips that work for me!

1. I know it’s annoying, but just answer your parents’ questions.

First of all, the majority of us will lose lots of our freedom during winter break. Your parents will want to know what you are doing, when you’re doing it, and who you’re with. This can be difficult to adjust back to because we have gotten so used to these past 4 months of freedom. Just keep in mind that they love you and are only trying to protect you. So answer their thousands of annoying question and be nice about it. They have missed you and deserve that much.

2. Bring some personal items from college back home with you.

My only issue with going home is that I tend to feel like a guest in my own bedroom. A lot of my friends have told me that they feel this way too. This can be caused by the fact that we haven’t been there in a while and need to warm up to the atmosphere. Or, like in my case, the majority of your personal items are at school, so your room just has no “you” in it anymore. To help avoid this, bring back some of your favorite personal items with you to have during winter break. Whether it’s the comforter you’ve grown attached to or your favorite poster – it might make you feel more “at home”…at home.

3. Remember…being home is weird for both you AND your parents.

Some parents will redecorate their kid’s rooms after they leave for college and this can be a major cause of the feeling of not belonging. If this has happened to you, it is very important that you talk to your parents and communicate how you feel. Remember, they’ve probably become used to you not living there anymore, just as much as you have. Don’t let your feelings bottle up and become an issue, just open up and let them reassure you that their home is still (and always will be) your home!

4. Jump right back into their (your family’s) schedule.

Believe it or not, life happens when you aren’t home, and your family has a daily schedule that doesn’t involve you. So when you come home and are all of a sudden thrown back into this schedule, it can really make you feel like you don’t have a place in your home anymore. I suggest that you just jump right in and help out where you can!

5. Talk to those crazy people who raised you.

No matter what issues you run into with transitioning back to living at home during winter break, it is important that you talk to your parents about it. I know, I’m asking so much of you. You actually have to talk to those crazy people who raised you, love you, and want to help make you feel at home. Letting them know what you’re going through is a great way to build a stronger relationship with your parents, and an easy way to be happier about going home, no matter how long.