Toddler/Preschool
My daughter was born in the winter. Well, technically it was still fall (Dec. 11), but snow was falling and it was pretty darn cold that day, so in my eyes it was winter.
A winter baby presents a challenge. You would like to - no, you NEED to - get out of the house, but who wants to bring a newborn outside when it's 10 degrees? We were lucky because we had a January thaw when she was about 5 weeks old and we had our first big outing. We have a picture of her in her carrier dozing in one of those huge BJ's Wholesale Club carts surrounded by huge boxes of diapers and baby wipes.
Over the next three years, it remained a challenge to decide when to let my precious little one play outside in the snow. First birthday winter? Not a chance. Second birthday winter? OK, a few minutes of rolling in the white stuff, bundled as tightly as possible. Third birthday winter? A little more snow play, with a little less freaking out when a mitten hit the ground and little fingers turned red.
Now, as my daughter nears her fourth birthday winter, I wonder what this year will bring. She has discovered sledding and is dying to ice skate, but preschool already has started to work its sniffle-filled wonders on her, and I wonder how healthy she will be for outdoor games. Plus - and I'm going to be brutally honest here - playing in the snow is just not as much as fun when you're an adult. It's cold and wet and just a
I know rationally that going outside is important, especially at this age, when kids have a lot of energy and a lot of curiosity. I could teach her about melting and freezing, icicles and all sorts of other fun but educational stuff. And we probably will spend some time outside; for when we do venture outdoors, I read some great advice from by Bethany Dunnon on seattle.savvysource.com, including sending the little ones outside with full bellies so that the energy from the food will keep them warm, remembering sunscreen on little faces, dressing in lawyers and considering a helmet when sledding.
But we might end up inside a lot. She's still so tender and precious, and it can get REALLY cold here in the Berkshires. And that's OK. Board games and play dough are fun, too.
- Rebecca Dravis
Early Elementary
My 6-year-old son is a bleeder, always has been. Ever since his first nose cauterization at the ripe old age of 2, I've watched him run, climb and jump (and fall and bleed), all the while resisting the urge to pull him out of his rough-and-tumble world into safety.
He is, after all, a little boy, and little 6-year-old boys are messy and they like to play hard, even in the sub-zero New England winter. On snow days, I struggle with the idea of making him stay in (because his nosebleeds are worse in the winter), color and watch SpongeBob. No such luck. He wants to be outside in the perilous blizzard, his pale face ablaze with the raw effects of wind. There is no containing his "boyness" as he digs up sticks and hurls them, end over end, across the yard, then runs to their landing spot to see what shape is made in the snow.
Because his choice of activities usually errs on the side of risk, I feel compelled to follow him outside, just to keep an eye on his nose! He pulls on my arm, throws my boots at me, and pleads, "Wanna make a snowman, Mom?" I relent.
We roll little snowballs into giant torsos; we make snow people so anatomically correct I have to put clothing on them. After the snow families are finished (I've lost many a good scarf and hat, as well as my favorite lipstick, to dress Snow Mom), we begin the igloo process. It never ends up looking like an igloo, but Lucian's happy because he can huddle in his little enclosure and pretend he is a Viking, or a hunter, or a ninja. He's never once considered the idea of maybe being an Eskimo. Still no nosebleed.
Our snow adventures continue as the sun fades from the sky. Suddenly it is 4 o'clock and I need to fill the wood rack for the freezing night ahead. He offers to help, but only if he can wear Dad's oversized work gloves. We work side by side, me carrying six pieces of wood to his one, and finally, amid the puddle of snow in front of the woodstove, we shed our winter coats and admire the fire.
Then comes his most favorite winter activity of all; dumping the tiny snow clumps from his hat and mittens on to the top of the woodstove. The snow hisses and sizzles and droplets bounce on the glowing surface. He smiles.
Lucian is more rugged than I thought. Our adventures in the cold have led us to this contented moment by the fire and that's when I notice: he is just fine, and will be just fine no matter what the weather or what his nose decides to do.
- Nichole Dupont
Elementary
As if the reports on childhood inactivity and obesity aren't disturbing enough - then comes winter.
With a CDC survey finding 22.6 percent of 9- to 13-year olds engaging in no physical activity and the fact that weight problems in children are generally caused by a lack of physical activity and/or unhealthy eating patterns, parents are under the gun to get their children up and moving, and eating well. But what do most children want to do during the winter?
Hibernate. They want to snuggle up on the couch with their technological devices, sip some hot cocoa, sample some baked goods (because don't most mom's bake more in the winter?) and reemerge sometime around Memorial Day.
My 10-year-old son is no different. With the promise of a snowmobile ride or the occasional sports practice luring him out of the house on occasion, my husband and I usually have to threaten the loss of video games, computer time, television and whatever else we can think of, to get him out the door in the winter.
His twin sister on the other hand prefers snowshoeing, building snowmen, playing basketball and snuggling up by the fire with her books after a fun-filled day of activity.
But Max and McKenna, by nature, are active kids and healthy eaters. We're not overly concerned that a long sedentary winter will cause them to become one of those 16 to 33 percent of children in the U.S. who fall into the obese category. But a lack of physical activity (and winter, in general, with its shortened daylight hours) presents a whole slew of other problems (depression, increased bouts of tiredness, food cravings etc.) which could convince any parent to get their kids up and moving this winter.
Knowing that winter is upon us and moods tend to turn to sibling intolerance during the colder months, I went Googling for a list of activities to keep my 10-year-olds busy and tolerable. I found the most comprehensive list of activities on treehuggingfamily.com. Among my favorites for housebound 10-year-olds: winter scavenger hunts; a visit to a local zoo to observe animal behavior in the winter; taking a hike or snowshoe to a local waterfall and see the differences winter brings; winter bonfires; winter picnics (we've done these indoors in front of a fireplace roasting hot dogs and Smores over the flames); winter stargazing; hopscotch (indoor or outdoor); planting a winter garden; sledding (of course) or a winter trip to the park.
Anyone of these activities will break up the monotony of winter, prevent your kids from becoming couch potatoes and provide a whole lot of fun for the entire family. And when you are all done "chilling outside" with your family, strip off the layers of "winterwear," make a few steaming cups of hot chocolate and snuggle up on the couch for a family movie, because every once in a while, winters are a good excuse for chilling out, too.
- Kelly Bevan
Tweens
There are times when, in the throes of parenting, it is best to go directly to the source for answers. I recently asked my girls what parents should do to keep their children busy during the fall and winter. "Umm, enroll them in everything," was one answer. I was just waiting for the "well, duh" that might naturally follow such a simple answer, but she spared me that.
It seems that, like many parents, I have fallen into the habit of enrolling my kids in lots of activities to keep them occupied. We have tried it all - dance, photography, ice skating, music, etc. As I have found out, all these extracurriculars can be costly and logistically tricky, making my life more exhausting.
My other daughter had a different take on the general state of busyness. According to her, the natural state for teens involves "having time to lie on the couch and do nothing at all." It is important for her to have unscripted time that affords her opportunity to "veg out," which sounds code for harassing her sister. This lazing-about makes me want to assign chores, obviously I am missing the subtle hint of activity lurking under the surface.
As I have discovered, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the boredom predicament. Maybe the most important revelation is that kids probably need greater responsibility for entertaining themselves - if they make noises about being bored let them own it. They might be happier in the end if allowed time to make their own fun. My vote is for taking parents out of the boredom equation for tweens and teens, but, who knows, I am just making this up as I go along.
- Lisa Sheldon
Teens
I don't know how the Bradys did it. Everyone was always so calm and never seemed to be in a hurry. How did they get all those kids everywhere they needed to go? Didn't they have only one car - a beat-up old station wagon looking remarkably like the one I learned to drive in? Didn't Mike take the car to work every day? And if I remember correctly good old Alice didn't even drive! That being said Marcia always got to baton twirling classes on time and Greg made every basketball game. Didn't anyone ever miss the bus?
Flash to my house. We seem to have more cars than driveway, and Matt, Gabby and Sally each have their license. Yet, most days I seem to be driving into my driveway only to put the car in reverse and drive back out again. Keeping our teenagers busy never seems to be a problem. I always seem to be rushing somewhere. Granted, Matt and Gabby, a college junior and freshman respectively, are usually only available to help out on weekends. Fortunately, Sally is always willing to drive Patrick to school or pick Bizzy up from volleyball practice. Bruce's business allows him to be flexible and my hours fit in with after school activities, so it all works out, but boy, are we busy.
I guess "busy" is a good thing, especially in the winter. It means the kids have interests other than Facebook and video games. Patrick enjoys hanging with friends, Sally is actively looking for a job, and Bizzy is interested in any sport she can try out for in high school. Bruce and I both work full time so organization is the key. Keeping track of practices, work schedules, who is sleeping at the house on Saturday nights, and who is coming home from college on which weekend can be a challenge but if I can fit it all on the calendar it all works out. A missed bus here or there, Bruce and I waving at each other as we pass in the driveway, shuffling cars while snow tires get put on one or the other . it's really what a family is all about. We all end up together at the end of the day ... or most days . and that's what helps us keep our sanity.
We may not be the calm, cool, collected Bradys, but I don't think I could pull off Carol Brady's hair-do anyway. And just think, in two years Bizzy and Patrick will both have their licenses, and then what will we do with our time. Ha!
- Kathy Buckley
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