How do I keep systems alive during holidays and busy months? 

Parenting Perspective 

Families often work hard to build helpful systems, such as job charts, rotas, or tidy-up routines, that keep daily life organised. As soon as the school holidays or a particularly busy month arrives, however, these systems can begin to unravel. With travel, late nights, or shifting schedules, children may forget their routines, and parents may feel too stretched to enforce them. As a result, the structure that kept the house running smoothly can fall apart. 

The question is not whether this disruption will happen, as it almost always does, but how to keep your systems alive so that they can bend with the busyness but do not completely break. Children thrive when their routines continue, even in a lighter form, because consistency gives them a sense of stability. Parents, too, can feel calmer knowing that their home will not descend into chaos just because the calendar is full. 

Step 1: Simplify, Do Not Abandon 

During holidays or high-pressure weeks, you can reduce the number of tasks but keep the overall framework in place. 

• Instead of a full rota, you could focus on just two core jobs (such as tidying toys and setting the table). 

• Instead of a long tidy-up session, you could do quick, five-minute resets throughout the day. 

Step 2: Continue to Use Visual Reminders 

Busy times often mean that parents forget to give reminders, and children forget to act. Visual cues, such as charts, labels, or ‘first–then’ cards, can step in as ‘silent reminders’. Pointing to a chart feels much lighter than nagging and can work well even when you are tired. 

Step 3: Keep Roles and Systems Familiar 

During a busy month, it is best to avoid introducing any new or complicated systems. Stick to the roles and routines that your children already know so they can carry them out independently. Predictability helps to reduce stress when life is already full. 

Step 4: Anchor Jobs to Non-Negotiable Routines 

You can tie essential tasks to non-negotiable parts of the day, such as mealtimes or bedtime. 

• ‘After dinner, we all clear the table together.’ 

• ‘Before we read our bedtime story, we will do a two-minute tidy.’ 

Step 5: Be Flexible During Travel or with Guests 

If you are away from home or are hosting visitors, you can explain any adjustments to the routine clearly: ‘Since we are travelling, your main job is to keep all your things together in this one bag,’ or, ‘While our guests are here, your role is to make sure the living room stays neat for them.’ 

Step 6: Celebrate the Small Wins 

Do not expect perfection during busy times. Instead, make a point of celebrating any effort your child makes: ‘You remembered to put away your shoes today, even though the day was so hectic. That helped so much.’ 

Step 7: Reset the System Together Afterwards 

At the end of a busy week or a holiday, you can do a family ‘reset’ together. This could be a short meeting or a ten-minute power tidy to help re-establish a sense of order. 

Mini Dialogue Example 

Child: ‘Do we still have to do our jobs, even on holiday?’ 

Parent: ‘Yes, but we will keep them shorter and simpler. For this week, your only job is to keep your bag packed neatly. That way, we still have some order without too much pressure.’ 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches that consistency in our good deeds is more beloved to Allah than a period of great intensity that is followed by neglect. Busy periods and holidays can be seen as a test of whether we are able to maintain our good habits, even in smaller doses. By keeping your family systems alive, you teach your child that responsibility is not seasonal; it is a part of their faith and character. 

The Importance of Consistency in Good Deeds 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Fussilat (41), Verse 30: 

‘Indeed, those people that say: “Allah (Almighty) is our Sustainer”; then they stand steadfast (on that belief), there shall descend on them the Angels (of Death proclaiming): “Do not fear and do not grieve; and celebrate with the news of Paradise, that which has been promised to you”.’ 

You can explain: ‘Allah loves it when we try to stay steady in our good habits. That is why we try to keep our routines going even when life is busy, just in a simpler way.’ 

The Most Beloved Deeds Are the Steadiest 

It is recorded in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 1970, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The most beloved of deeds to Allah are those that are consistent, even if they are small.’ 

For a child, this means: ‘It is better for us to keep helping a little bit during the holidays than to stop completely. Allah loves our steady effort more than us doing a lot one week and then nothing the next.’ 

By linking these holiday adjustments to Islamic values, a child sees that consistency is a form of strength. They learn that life will always bring changes, but our responsibilities remain a part of who we are.