How to Handle Winter Days at Home with Kids
Every fall, as we admire our children while they jump on piles of crunchy leaves, we enjoy the brisk air, and know it won't last. If these past few years have taught us anything, it's that the weather can get extreme. And that means being stuck at home, and school cancelations. When your area is not used to inclement weather, at the slightest hint of a storm, everything shuts down. No judgment, they’re just trying to do what we want to do - keep your kids safe.
The thing is, it makes it difficult for parents when your kids’ school is suddenly canceled, and you’re expected to work from home with your child staring at you with the famous “what are we going to do?” faces.
We’ve got you. Here are some tips for how to survive a sudden school cancellation.
Prepare for when you’re unprepared
Not much you can do if you’re caught off guard, but our first piece of advice in this season is to realize that storms and school cancellations will likely happen, and often without much of a heads up. So as much as you can’t prepare ahead of time when it’s already here, think about what steps you can take generally to be more prepared for a day like this to land on you.
Whether this means meal prepping some of kiddo’s favorite foods in freezable portions to whip out on a day of need, or buying some small toys and goodies you know they’ll enjoy and saving them as a new gift and distraction on a rainy day, future-you will thank today’s wise planning next time the weather outside is frightful.
Top-heavy gets you to the bottom of it
Spend some time at the start to give yourself more means to an end. Early effort will make it easier on you later in the day! Think of games that you can create that they can then play or lead mostly alone or for themselves. A scavenger hunt around the house for items you’ve hidden with clues you can easily give ahead of time, collect objects that start with the letter _ or that are blue or feature animals, and such clusters of tasks.
Take some time in the morning to set up an activity box with coloring books and options to keep them entertained in between activities, or create a “menu” of activities to do, alternating between some that they complete themselves with some that require more active supervision. That brings us to…
Duck, duck, productivity
Create realistic expectations of yourselves and your kid(s), and understand that while they cannot expect you to be with them the entire time, you also cannot expect them to play alone for the entire time (yes, this may be obvious, but we’ll get into what that means, and how to plan for it!).
Plan your day (with flexibility, of course, as much as possible) in blocks. Aside from meetings, around which you may have little control, allocate stretches of time to keep them busy and work, and then alternate those with together-times where you reward yourselves for productivity with some rest and reset time, treats, and snuggles. Or coffee and chocolate. Or whatever will keep each of you going for the next block.
If you have a partner, you may be able to take turns being more focused while the other is actively engaging the child or at least on lookout, so that you’re even more productive. Have like-minded neighbors, family, or friends nearby? Try and team up to expand your squad! This worked well for some during Covid-19, with “social pods” enabling people to keep it close, but retain support and interaction. Combined forces means evening out the ratio of “us” to “them” and may allow you to find the quiet time you need to work, while also capitalizing on the different personalities, environments, and expertise that different adults bring with them to entertain curious kiddos.
Run ‘em tired
When in doubt? Tire ‘em out.
Though you may well be limited in space, with a bit of creativity, you may be able to run them a bit ragged. We all may go a little stir crazy and need to expend energy. Plan in some periods along the day to get energy out, ideally in a way that doesn’t mean you lose focus entirely.
Set up a “simple” obstacle course for them to do in the living room, balancing an empty toilet paper roll on their heads as they walk in a straight line, going over and under couch cushions, crawling through one of those activity tunnels if you have them, hopping in and out of designated areas on one foot, or any other assortment of activities you can easily throw together. And don’t forget the magic rule - they have to start over if they make too much noise! If you add in a time element, you’ll bring out the competition in them, especially if you have multiple kids. If you have three or more kids, they can take turns overseeing while the others run their rounds. Remind them that you want to know all their times, and think of a prize you can reward the group for completing it under the required time. If you have a whiteboard, blackboard, or chalkboard, have them write their times down!
Another option for older kids is a “workout corner” of whatever may be age appropriate. Whether that be a yoga mat for stretching and simple kid yoga or a jumprope, or stress balls to squeeze and sippy cups to lift as “weights.”
Regular activity not interesting enough to them? Let them be helpful, and important! You can give them special “errands,” (whether necessary or not) and make them your “helper” for assistance running the house on such an important day. Perhaps they can make place settings for all of you for dinner, organize their own snack, or even design their own version of the artwork you owe a client.
Of course, if there’s snow and it’s not dangerous, and certainly especially if snow is a rarity where you are - take advantage! Snow angels, snowmen, and the like are memories made that will stay with all of you well beyond the melt. Make sure you bundle up before you go out, and then appreciate the warmth of the house when you get to peel off all those layers. After you venture outside, come back in, and thaw out.
Cuddle corner
What’s the next step after a snow man? A hot chocolate! And what’s the flip side of an energy-burning zone? A cuddle corner or relaxing space, of course.
Set up an area for them to chill if you have the space for it. Let them help decorate and accessorize it with blankets and pillows and stuffies if they’d like, and compliment them on their incredible taste! This can be a place to read them stories in between meetings or let them read to themselves, or allow them to take advantage of whatever screen time you allot. Speaking of screen time…
Savor the screen time
If your kids are old enough to watch television or take in content, whatever their favorite program or podcast, plan screen time accordingly, and wield it as a weapon. Whether that means saving it for later in the day, letting them “earn it” by completing other tasks, or simply whipping out a device in time for that meeting where you need silence, do not be afraid to rely on this parent’s helper in a pinch.
If it’s reasonable outside, it’s ok to go for a ride
If the weather is reasonable despite the “storm,” take them out for a bit to escape more of the same, or maybe just go for a drive around and the comfort of their babyark car seat lull them to sleep. We love our kids, but a sleeping baby is often the cutest form of baby. And the easiest version to enable working parents to actually work… This plan puts the Zs in plan for everything from A-Z.
What are your favorite tips?
Stay safe, and remember to thank today-you tomorrow when your prep pays off.
Have other patented methods that didn’t make it on here? Share them with us in the comments!
