How to Get the Job Done on a Snowy Day
For kids, snowy days are the best days. There is no school! And white fluffy things to frolic in! And no school! However, for working parents, this legal notice via text message or email can trigger a panic attack. Snowy day? NO! You have reports to fill out and a budget to manage and that very important 11 am phone call that cannot be interrupted by a light knock on the door and a real request, “Do you want to build a snowman? ? “
Deep breath. The timing may not be perfect, but it doesn’t have to be catastrophic. Here’s how some resourceful mums and dads get their way when their kids are around and their routines are out of order.
Plan for the future
Yes, it should be listed under “Things That Would Be Nice to Know Yesterday,” but if you live in a snowy climate, you’ll need an emergency plan for when the inevitable happens. Before the forecast leads to death (again), agree with …
Your Community Centers: Check if your YMCA offers a Snowy Day program when schools are closed.
Your Co-parent: If one of the parents has flexible working hours and can look after the children at any time, great. (Note and Objection: Just because a person works from home does not automatically mean that his or her schedule is automatically more flexible. Be realistic about your workload.) Another option is to take turns “on duty” during the winter.
Neighborhood Parents: Set up a system where you take turns placing a small group of children in your home. You might be surprised to find you can do more when your kids have friends to play with and don’t want to have anything to do with you. That is, if you don’t have a toddler group. If so, close your laptop, call your work day a wash, and get ready.
Your Workplace: Talk to your boss about working from home on days when you are away from school. Or, if several of your coworkers have children, see if you can bring them all. A mom named Kristen did this recently, telling me, “We set them up in a conference room with a Nintendo switch, three controllers and 70s.” The television. They had an explosion. “
Set up your home for (quiet) success
If your kids need to be at home and have some work to do, getting the setting right is key. For young children, have open-ended toys that don’t require a lot of instruction (read: 72-step Lego spaceship is guaranteed to make your child plead, “Can you help me please?”). Play dough, pipe cleaners, toothpicks, eye goggles, washi tape, paper and scissors usually keep my 5 year old busy (and quiet) enough for at least an hour. I also have a closet full of toys that she received on past birthdays and hasn’t seen since, and I only take them out when I want her to enjoy something new.
You can make snowy days more special by doing snow-themed activities. A mom named Joyce told me she brings a trash can of snow so her son can add food coloring and make snowmen indoors.
If you may be regularly working from home and your children are old enough to follow directions for longer periods of time, it is important to establish some rules. Tell them that when there is a red sign on your office door, they cannot knock or walk inside unless it is an emergency (the non-bootable iPad app is not one of them). My mother, named Alexia, told me that she had equipped workplaces in her house so that everyone could “work” together. With a timer set, she does her job while her children make worksheets, write stories, and paint. When the timer rings, everyone takes a break.
Netflix
There’s always Netflix.
Snow time schedule
If you are not caught in the bomb cyclone , be sure to go outside and enjoy the snow. Make snow angels. Go sledding. Examine the snowflakes . Make snow cleaning a fun game, you sneaky parent. Snowy day. Relive the thrill.