In my corner of the world (Western Pennsylvania), this far into the season, we've typically been buried in so much snow that we are tired of it by now. We usually suffer from 'Cabin Fever' November through March, and some of my best nuggets of advice for parents have been about finding creative ways to recover from that.
This year, however, winter has been unrecognizably warm and mild. It's January; we just had our first semi-significant snowfall, and if the traffic reports are any indication, I'm afraid that we are losing our grip (pun intended) on winter 'know-how.'
I'm not only afraid that we are 'slipping' (yep, intended) on our ability to drive well on snow and ice; I'm afraid that we might forget how to simply have fun with it! Now, if you follow my posts regularly, you know that I not only share my tips on creative parenting, I look to the kids of the world for creative ideas on ways to interact with them. They do lead us well if we are paying attention!
With that said, I've learned from my kids that it really doesn't take much to have fun. We adults typically make things way more difficult than they need to be. As a result, one of my favorite pieces of advice for parents is to 'Lighten up!' Act like a kid ... enjoy the simple things with your kids. You will not only have fun in the moment, you'll build memories that will be cherished for a lifetime!
Now, in my opinion, THAT is parenting at its best! And so, I am passing along this link I just came across; it's one of the most fabulous, and simple ideas to take advantage of a new snowfall. Click this link to
LEARN HOW TO MAKE SNOW ICE CREAM! ... Yep, you read that right!
If you've got snow outside your door, don't dread it ... go collect some. Put it in your freezer, and make ice cream when the kids get home from school today!
Woot-woot! Hey, the snow has to be white, but the memories will be golden!
By the way, if you don't have snow outside your door, I know where you can get some! ... Or, you can grab some white paper and scissors to cut out some snowflakes to decorate your windows and pretend ... Let your imagination soar, and ask your child to tell you a story about what s/he would be doing right now in the snow. Take turns giving input in the story; don't forget to grab paper and pen, you will want to read this in ten years! ... Now that's gold!
;-Deb
