“Before you think about retaliating, ask yourself: is this person normally out to get me?”

Sun Tzu on the art of war? General Patton on the rules of engagement? No, just me advising some pre-recess fourth graders on the weeks after winter break.

We forget that this time of year is usually hard for kids for many reasons. From the school perspective, winter break is the second longest break of the year, after summer break. Then they return for a breakneck few weeks before many schools go on break again in early spring — a luxury to be sure, but it’s hard to build what I call social momentum. Social momentum is when kids are seeing their friends frequently, making lots of everyday memories, so no one little conflict or disappointment carries too much weight. When that momentum is interrupted by time off, it takes time to build up again, and can stop-and-start a little awkwardly until it does.

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