For those with teenagers in the house, January can be a trying time. There’s the come-down after Christmas, the back to school blues and an array of new stresses and challenges to deal with.

Year 9 are choosing their options for GCSE, which can be daunting for everyone involved, especially for those who are struggling at school. For older students exam time is looming, with mock exams for year 11 and SATS for the primary students being mentioned at every turn.

As parents the best we can do is ensure our kids are feeling well supported. Try to make sure they are eating well, getting enough sleep and watch out for signs of stress that often show at this time of year.

Keep talking
Remember to keep communication lines open. Talk to your kids, talk to their teachers – they won’t bite – and encourage your kids to talk to people outside the family that they most trust and admire. Very often, those outside can see what we as parents cannot.

To get the family back on track and reconnected, think about ways in which you can capitalise on the dark nights and cold weather to really enjoy your time together. Watch a film, play a board game or just talk about your day – whatever you do, just do it as a family.

Have fun in the kitchen
One way to reconnect is with healthy meals – especially after the sugar fest of Christmas. January is a great time to get the kids into the kitchen, learn some basic cooking skills and prepare some healthy meals for all the family.

The chopping of vegetables for a hearty stew, the weighing and mixing of ingredients for a cake for Sunday tea or the fun of making their own tortillas with loads of choices of fillings can all be a great way to spend quality time together, learn new skills and get those fussy eaters weaned off their sugar addiction. With so many recipes available online as well as a wealth of cookbooks for all ages and stages, there really couldn’t be a better time to try.

Let it go!
If your kids were lucky enough to receive oodles of new toys at Christmas, January can also be a great time to have a clear out. Sort those bedroom piles into ‘Trash’ ‘Donate’ and ‘Keep’ piles, encouraging the children to help choose what to let go of, including those toys and books they have outgrown. Charity shops always need donations and, after receiving so much, it can be very balancing to encourage children to move things along. Give things away and let go of what they no longer need or want, especially when they know they are doing something good for someone else. Maybe they would like to choose a charity that feels important to them?

However you choose to spend your winter months, remember to get outside, enjoy the air and, who knows, maybe you could even build a snowman?