While it used to be that I could never sit still or stay in for long, these days I actually look forward to those winter snowed in days when everyone is pretty much stuck indoors. Far from the original cabin fever that I used to feel, forced to stay in with no way to g, actually helps things slow down and can even be fun.
When the winter months roll around, I try to make sure that we are prepared with the basics. This not only means a couple of days of food, but also entertainment and projects. Sure the TV and video game system can be used during this time, but everyone quickly gets media-ed out. Instead, promising a special movie or night of television, keeps everyone anticipating, and we all get to spend the time relaxing together without mindlessly staring at a screen. Plus, there are those times when we simply don’t have any electricity anyway.
Taking out other forms of entertainment that aren’t often used, such as that jigsaw puzzle that is gathering dust, the toys that get forgotten at the bottom of the toy box or the books that no one has gotten around to read can be interesting and different enough to occupy the time.
I also find that it is helpful to have a couple of home or family projects in mind for those staying in days. For example, our nine year old has always wanted to build a birdhouse for the backyard. So, during a summer trip to the home improvement store, my husband picked up the supplies needed. An active project like this can be fun for the whole family and a way to bond.
For the adults, we can tackle more intense projects, such as framing and hanging photos, painting a room, trying a new cooking project, or finally de-cluttering the extra room and getting ready for a spring yard sale.
Look at the time spent indoors as an opportunity to spend time together and catch up on some of the things that you always mean to do. Then when the snow clears and life gets hectic again, you may actually find yourself wishing for bad weather.
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