Snow Day

We’ve had our first snow day of 2024. Now, what to do with these 2 kids?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day would bring our first real Artic blast of the season. We have been braving it through our first snow day(s) of 2024; many of us not quite recovered from Snowmageddon 2021.

I do not know where you are in the world, but we have been experiencing below freezing weather in North Texas for the past few days. Thank God, this snow event has not been as severe as the February 2021 event.

Scheduled to be off to honor and celebrate the achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the precipitation that accompanied, gave everyone in our district’s education system an unexpected consecutive day off.

My daughter enjoys being at school with her teachers and classmates everyday, and was ready to return.  Arrington was elated for the extra day and had hopes of running down my phone battery, talking to his cousins while they play Roblox (insert eye roll).

School Closed Due to Inclement Weather

When I was a kid, I remember waking up early to check the scrolling at the bottom of the news report. I would pray intently, that school was cancelled, or at least delayed, due to inclement weather. I remember being over the moon excited when my district appeared, but in utter disbelief when seemingly, my district didn’t get the inclement weather memo, and I was forced to endure school. Meanwhile, peers close enough to watch the same news channel, got a snow day.

Nowaday, they send mass text and emails to alert of school closures.  I received the kid’s district text: Due to icy road conditions and temperatures expected to remain below freezing, we will remain closed. Stay safe and warm.

As F. Gary Gray as the janitor in Friday said, “It ain’t even wet over here.” 

Now that I am the proud parent of two elementary school darlings…….I need them to be at school ALL scheduled days. We have deadlines and goals to meet. Now, as parents we also have to find ways to occupy their time.

I give the kids some liberty on the weekends, but strive to keep them focused and disciplined through the week. They  already were both singing one of kid’s favorite tunes the day before, “I’m bored!”

What to do on a Snow Day?

Overall, my son is easy: phone, Ipad, food, good! My daughter requires more.  She is  4 years old, and yearns for more one-on-one time and connection. Not to mention, I did not want my son to be plugged in all day. Finding ways to get my kids unplugged(at least for a moment or two), the attention they need, and meet my targets, was the mission.

This snow day would be a great day to practice a new skill I have been working on: time management. I had recently spoken to one of my best friends, Teal, who knows a thing or two about this subject and its importance.  Teal has  successfully held positions as Regional Director of Operations and Chief Executive Officer in one of the most demanding healthcare systems in the nation. Her advice and encouragement to find freedom in planning and scheduling would be a skill I needed and wanted to develop; know (at least in general) where/how each minute/hour is being spent, intentionally and strategically.

I scheduled 30-60 minute breaks/funtime every 2 hours. I set timers, and thanks to the kids’ cooperation, this strategy worked well for us…at least on this day.

Play Dress Up

Aliah whipped up her Frozen spell and bring the snow. When she the snow arrived she explained how she was able to bring the snow with just the wave of her hand. Is she Elsa or Al Green? Either way, she’s convinced she has magical powers and technically, she is not incorrect #blackgirlmagic.

This Elsa princess costume was on her Rule of 3: The Family’s Christmas Lists . She would, and does wear it every day, if I let her. Gloves, wand, crown, braid, shoes, jewels, the pose! Werk!!

Go Outside: The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway

Layers, check! Hats, check! Double socks, check! Gloves, check!

What is a snow day without getting to play around in the snow-ish. The kids saw snow and were ready to go out and frolic, with hopes of snow angels and snowmen. But with just a smidgen of snow, they were only able to gather enough for a snowball or two.

Nevertheless, they were thankful for whatever snow was there and weathered the freezing cold for about an hour.

UNO

The kids like a game of UNO. It is about the only game they can beat me. They are both quite competitive and are becoming descent players. This game also helps with Aliah’s number and color matching skills. There is reading and strategy as well. And if you are wondering…NO! I do not go easy on them. I try not to crush my daughter’s entire spirits especially, but I will Draw 4, Skip, Draw 2 them.  I wonder where they get some of that competitiveness from? They have to learn before they get out in the world. UNO out!

Arts and Craft

One of my favorite things about our home, is the art work displayed: the kids painting and drawings from school (including Arrington’s piece that was selected to be displayed in the district’s administration building), as well as the doodles my aunt creates.

I use to have a knack for drawing, but that skill has seemingly become dormant. I do what I can, but love the way the family is able to express through art.

We played a game of Pictionary allowing everyone to showcase their talent, or in my case, lack thereof.

I will mark this snow day as a success. Being able to meet my targets, as well as find fun things for the family to do to occupy their time, other than Roblox, was a victory.

BTW: Studies have shown that the average person is  productive just over 4 hours in an 8 hour work day.

I continue to focus on incorporating and practicing new time management skills; a challenge for me.

BTW: As long as they are safe, there is absolutely no judgement for how you keep these kids occupied. Let it go, let it go!!

What do you do with the kids on a snow day? What are your best time management tips? We would love to hear from you.

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