Parenting Tips – Surviving the Winter Blues

Brian at Rotary East Lansing

Written by: Brian Philson, CEO/President of Highfields

Surviving the Winter Blues

Stay Active: It is important to stay active during the winter months.  This may mean finding new ways to do this.  Mall walking, bowling, ice/roller skating, sledding, or simply playing outside, etc.… are just some ways that you can stay active with your children.  Are there others?

It is important to remember that you must not give up being outdoors despite it being winter. It is important to take advantage of the sunlight when it is shining.

Maintain Routines: It is easy to get lazy or give into the chaos of busy lives and shorter days.  Establish regular routines.  If possible, schedule activities on particular days; like swimming on Tuesdays, dance on Wednesdays, mall walking on Thursdays, Wii game nights on Saturdays, etc.…  Establish household chores and homework routines.

Limit Screens: Specifically, turn off the TV!  While some television in moderation is good, particularly when it is educational in nature, too much TV and other screens like video games aren’t great.  Setting limits is important and is great practice for helping children to set their own limits as they get older. 

Get Creative: Having a family game night or practicing a “power outage” and using candles/lanterns can also be an adventure.  Set a date for a larger activity like a Hawaiian Luau, and having the family plan for it. Give the family something to look forward to and (hope) to plan for the future.

Invite friends over, have a sleepover, take a mid-winter ”holiday” like a weekend visit to an indoor water park, or a simple “hotel with a swimming pool” activity.

Can you think of others?

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top