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Everyone enjoys the first snowfall of the season, watching the snow fall while relaxing in front of a crackling fire; gazing at the picture perfect blanketed landscape; "listening" to the stillness of the storm. However, by February, the wood is gone, the snow is dirty and the only sound you hear is coughing and sneezing from your children who have spent too many hours in soaked mittens. The desire to stay under the covers until May is overwhelming, as is the craving for another piece of pie to go with the cup of hot chocolate topped with a mound of whipped cream. Welcome to cabin fever – the disease that affects anyone who endures the cold months of winter. While there may be no absolute cure for this affliction, there are three sure ways to treat it: anticipation, participation and preparation.
First is anticipation – you know winter is coming so anticipate how you will feel when it is 10 degrees below zero. Anticipate also how you will feel that first day of March when you can open your windows and smell the first hint of Spring. By looking ahead to the bright days of spring and the hot, sunny days of summer you will be better able to cope with the frigid days of winter. Also anticipate what you will need to keep on hand for those cold and snowy days. Rather than running to the supermarket when the weatherman predicts a storm (like everyone else in your neighborhood is doing), stock up on a regular basis. Products like milk, bread and butter can be frozen, so buy extra on your normal shopping trip. Ask yourself, too, how much milk and bread do I use during a snowstorm? You will be surprised when you realize you use very little.
Now that you have anticipated what is coming, you can prepare for it. Line up boots, hats, scarves and mittens by the back door so they are readily accessible. Cover your entry-way with a plastic mat or an old throw rug and keep a mop nearby to swab the slushy tracks. Murphy's Law dictates that it will take one hour of prep time and one hour of clean-up time for the ten minutes your child will actually spend playing in the snow. Prepare for the long hours your family will be spending together when schools and businesses close by keeping plenty of food and games at the ready. When your children are nearly frostbitten from building snow forts, warm them and the house by baking a few batches of cookies. Face it, the house is going to be messy anyway, why not heat it up and keep the children busy at the same time. Once the baking is done and your home is filled with the sweet aroma of cinnamon and vanilla, it is time to move to step three – participation.
Act like a kid again! Join your kids in a snowball fight or go sledding in the local park. Build a snowman or snowwoman and adorn it with your old false eyelashes and fake fingernails. Playing in the snow will not only make you feel good mentally, you will be surprised at the calories you will burning trekking through the snow to make it back to the top of the hill! When the bitter cold finally gets the best of you, bring the family fun inside. During those cold winter months, keep a jigsaw puzzle set up in the den or family room for everyone (or anyone) to work on when the weather has you feeling closed in. Choose a fairly difficult puzzle, but one with a nice summer theme – the ocean or a sunset over the bay. To encourage total family participation, stock up on board games. Classic games like Life and Monopoly never go out of style and they are fun for the entire family. When everyone is finally exhausted and simply wants to relax, make sure you have a full collection of family movies to choose from. To make it fair, allow one child to choose the game you will play and another child to choose the movie you will watch. This should alleviate some of the squabbling that is unavoidable when everyone is shut in for long periods of time.
Another good project to save for those snowy days is putting together family photo albums. Give each family member an album and a theme. For instance, one member will put together a Christmas album while another arranges a vacation album. This will not only fill those long winter hours but also help organize those pictures you have scattered around the house.
While it is inevitable that Winter follows Fall, keep that Cabin Fever in check by remembering that Spring follows Winter. Surviving Cabin Fever and those bitter, dreary days of Winter makes us all appreciate the new buds of Spring; the initial glow of the "lightening bugs"; and the fireworks on the Fourth of July!
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