Plan Some Fun and Beat The Winter Blues...

We're stuck in the middle of winter, and it's the time of the year when everybody just feels a little .... tired. Tired of short days, colder weather, and the everyday routine. Spring break is still a ways off, but a Boulder parent can plan some fun activities to break the family out of the doldrums and re-energize.

Have a Winter Picnic.  Invite some friends over and pretend it is summer! Connect with families from school and invite them over for a picnic. Turn the heat up and break out the shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops. Serve some hot dogs and potato salad and have an ice cream sundae bar. Kids and adults will enjoy relaxing and enjoying a short break from winter.

Take a Day Trip.  If you just need to get away but the schedule doesn't allow for it, clear an entire day and go somewhere new and different. Whether it's an outlet mall, or a museum, find a destination an hour or two away and enjoy a mini-vacation to spend time together and re-charge. 

Re-Decorate.  Beat the winter blahs by sprucing up the indoors. Let kids do something to brighten up their room, such as painting a wall a different color, or choosing a new comforter or throw pillows for their room. Re-arrange furniture to make a new, different look.

Get Crafty.  Invest in some new craft supplies to keep kids entertained on a cold winter day. Let them create posters, collages, and pictures for their room. Make homemade face paint, playdough, or musical instruments from items in the recycling bin.

Help Someone Else.  Helping someone else is the best way to boost your spirits. Make cookies for the neighbors, volunteer in the community, or offer to babysit for a single parent. Brightening someone else's day will ultimately make yours happier too.

Plan for the Summer. If you're dreaming about warmer weather, it's a perfect time to plan a summer vacation! Have each family member write down ideas of what they'd like to do this summer and make a plan! 

Even if you can't get to the beach today, it's fun to have something to look forward to. Don't let the cold weather get you down. Instead of hibernating this winter, connect with other families in the area through Boulder Parents and plan some fun things to do.

Boulder Parents

This is inspiring... Boulder Parents is a PRIVATE online community of parents with children in K12 schools, gathered here to support one another as we endeavor to be the best parents we can be. We recognize that parenting is the hardest, most important job we will ever do. We all make mistakes. We all need help from time to time. And we all possess different skills, passions, and perspectives. But no one need go it alone. Boulder Parents is founded on the belief that as a community we are stronger, smarter, and more capable parents.

The BP community is set up as a forum for the free exchange of new ideas, thoughts, recommendations, worries, accomplishments, get togethers, and possibilities. It is a way for us to get connected and stay connected to the families that make up the proverbial “village” behind the the scenes of the classrooms our kids share. http://www.boulderparents.org.

I have been looking for a great way to communicate with other parents, and I could never find one I liked - so I created one. I hope this catches on. Only a few schools are participating, but if you are interested, email me: teresa.mclain@xsci-ucd.org. Cheers.