Navigating melancholy at the close of holiday season

Families Begin the Post-Vacation Restart Amid Mixed Feelings

As the summer interlude comes to an end, families across France are preparing for the restart after the new school year. Motorway service stations, such as those along the A6 in Burgundy, are bustling with families on the move.

One such family is the Touroff-Duvallet family, who are returning from a campsite in Gironde. Amélie Touroff, a member of the family, mentions that they would have liked to stay at the campsite a little longer but understand that all good things must come to an end. Upon their return, the Touroff-Duvallet parents will have to go back to work, and the children will have to return to school, facing a six-hour drive back to their usual living environment.

Professor Michel Lejoyeux, a psychiatrist at the Bichat Claude Bernard AP-HP hospital, advises families to schedule some downtime during the restart. He suggests keeping this time jealously guarded and using it for physical activity and with loved ones. "After the summer, it's essential to infuse a little of the vacation spirit into the daily routine of the new school year," he says.

Not all families are ready to face the restart after the new school year. Some prefer to put off thinking about it, while others are already looking forward to future vacations, possibly further, better, and for longer. A vacationer is quoted as saying that they know they are starting again to possibly go somewhere else.

Some families are trying to avoid the blues after the new school year by focusing on the positive aspects of the restart. Professor Lejoyeux, a Professor of Psychiatry and Sleep physician at the Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) in France, encourages everyone to embrace the new school year with a positive attitude. "It's important to remember that every new beginning is an opportunity for growth and change," he says.

As the summer comes to an end, families across France are facing the restart after the new school year with mixed feelings. But with the advice of specialists like Professor Lejoyeux and a little bit of vacation spirit, they are ready to face the challenges ahead and make the most of the new school year.