Is It Spring Yet?!
By Aria Walerski
I don’t know about you all but I am READY for spring, sunshine, and warm weather. I really try to not always be looking for the next best thing but to embrace the goodness in the present moment. A few years ago, I made the decision to embrace the beauty of winter. In the past, I would dread the cold and short days but I decided to reframe my outlook and while it’s not all sunshine and rainbows (literally, ha!), I have come to love winter more than I used to.
That being said, this winter has felt unusually tough. Between the negative temps, wind chills, and arctic tundra of ice/snow, it felt like a lot - and has been a lot as I’ve needed to keep my kids inside much of the last few weeks, which honestly wears on us all. My kids love being outside so they are out there playing as much as possible but with these temps and the fact that the snow is now a completely solid ice chunk, it hasn’t been possible the last few weeks. So I have needed to channel my creative mom mode and think of outside the box ways to get out some of their energy…
Use your hands. This can be as simple as doing a craft, coloring, writing, or building. I find that when my kids are hands on with something, it helps them to be more calm & focused.
Make it a game. Literally, this works with anything! I clock them on who can clean up their area faster, who can run 10 laps around the first floor first, or who can jump the farthest over the toy car line in the middle of the living room. They love it and it really doesn’t take that much extra effort.
Utilize special events. Right now, that’s the Winter Olympics! We are watching a bit more tv than usual but I’m using it to my advantage to teach them about sports they may not have known about and also educate them on different countries and cultures. My kids love watching a ‘new to them’ sport and then try to recreate it in their own way.
While these do help, I am still anxiously awaiting the days where the temps are above freezing and I can see my grass once again! If you are a parent, what do you do to help get out your kid’s energy when they are stuck inside? I always love to hear other parents' creative ideas so feel free to email us at: dtownctc@gmail.com or chat with us on our social media platforms to share.
Think Spring!