Winter Weather Blues
This time of year can bring the “winter blues”—the lack of sunshine, longer hours of darkness and more time spent inside. This winter in our northland area has been especially snowy and cold!
Of course, children feel it also. It leads to boredom, lack of physical activity, more clutter and noise in the house. And then there are the discipline issues that pop up. Children are more rambunctious in the house and siblings are fighting over everything.
What’s a parent to do? If a parent can step in with ideas before things escalate, it is possible to turn a bad situation into a fun family time. The following are some ideas to help cope with cabin fever:
1. Build a fort (in the living room or den) out of chairs/couch and blankets over them. Have a picnic lunch or supper inside or on a tablecloth spread on the floor.
2. Have a tea party with your children. This was a favorite in our house! Use your best china or plastic cups and saucers and serve cookies or small sandwiches. Get dressed up if you like.
3. Look and laugh at baby photographs of yourself and your child. This creates a sharing and bonding experience. Your child can see the family history.
4. Put on some of your child’s favorite music and everyone dance! Put on some of your child’s favorite sing-a-long songs and sing together.
5. Let your child take an unhurried bubble bath in the middle of the day with all the toys he or she wants.
6. Sit down and make art with your children. Get out all the glitter, glue, scissors, stickers, markers, paints, and get creative. Make seasonal pictures—snowmen, children sledding or skiing or skating or whatever you or your children can imagine!
Here are just a few ways to make your winter seem shorter! I’m sure you can think of others. Don’t forget ECFE Thursday evening family gym nights coming up again in January! Hope to see you all there!
—Jill Phillips, ECFE parent educator