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| Bundle up and head outdoors! |
But last winter, we were really cooped in the house for the first time since we'd left Colorado. January was snowy. And don't try to tell me, "At least your 3 teen boys were at brick school" because they weren't- they had 10 snow days from school.
So here's a few tips I can think of...
- Admit that your carefully planned "routine" isn't going to work perfectly every day through the Long Winter.
- Put lots of towels on the floor. Every (other?) evening throw them in the wash right after the last person comes in for the night, toss them in the dryer before you head to bed, and first thing in the morning, lay them all out- in front of doors, in high traffic areas. Much better than carpet runners, which can't be tossed into the laundry each night.
- Keep a steady supply of hot chocolate and oatmeal.
- Keep a reading time in a sunny window. If no sunny window is available, get a light therapy fixture, grow lamps and start a little hydroponic area, or Zoloft. (You think I'm kidding?)
- Lest you gain 10 lbs every winter, it's best to keep a regular morning exercise routine, too.
3 comments:
Good tips. I'm bad about getting outdoors, but I'm finally to the point where I realize and can feel when we've been cooped up too long instead of thinking "what is wrong with these kids?" No matter the season, regular outdoor time changes my kids' attitudes almost instantly.
I totally agree with the sunshine esp! I miss being outside in the sun. I love summer and going to the pool. Hot chocolate and a pot of stew or soup always does help too. I miss eating hot soups in the summer. Maybe cause it's so easy and frugal! HAHA.
When there is enough snow on the ground, I let my kids go sledding every day. It gives me some quiet in the house and they love it.
If no snow, then they can still bundle up appropriately in the afternoon and go run off excess energy. Same with mom - bundle up and go for a walk.
Also, I think that "being cooped up all day" is a misconception of homeschooling. At least for our home, the children are not sitting in silence for hours, working on their assignments. They are free to move to the room of their choice, as long as they actually get work done. If not, then they are back at the kitchen table for awhile. When their work is completed, their time is their own.
This is about to turn into an epic comment, I think I'll make it a blog post of my own!
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