5 Tips To Keep Your Sanity With Littles This Winter

Ok. Let me start off by giving you the hard truth about winters when you have littles—it’s freaking hard. You will survive {not flourish} but by the thinnest of threads. The key is to actually have some tricks up your sleeve so that the thread doesn’t break. Now that my kids are both in grade school, I can tell you that, yes, it does get easier. But looking back, those days when they were both at home running amuck in the house as a blizzard swirled outside were jam-packed with immense joy—and a lot of “I can’t believe I survived that” moments.

One minute, you are in awe of the little miracles you created. My son would waddle over to his baby sister and give her a hug just because, and I thought my heart would explode right out of my chest. But then the next minute, I’d have a giant blowout from the baby and a toddler who pooped on the floor. What in the…??? But those moments are bound to happen. It’s motherhood, after all. So, here are some tips to survive the blizzards, Snowmageddons, and Polar Vortex’s—or whatever else our Midwest winters throw at us.

1. Water

Kids love water. If the kids start to go a little wacko, let this be their special activity. There are tons of things you can try. For example, I used to fill the bathroom sink for my daughter, squeeze some bubbles in and she’d give her Little People a “bath.” You can also put some towels down on the floor and fill some bins with water, or just let them splash around in the tub. I found that these water activities keep the kids busy for the longest—and in the winter, this is magic.

2. Busy Bags

When I was expecting my second, I went to Pinterest and sought out “Busy Bags.” These were a game-changer for me. Busy bags are just how they sound, activities to keep your children busy. Most of them are educational too—a win, win. These take a little time to set up, but I promise you they’re worth and they won’t break your bank.

3.  Indoor Physical Activity

Let’s be honest, kids are kind of like dogs because they need to run ragged, daily. This can be difficult in the winter. Most of the time it takes longer to get them all dressed in their winter gear than the amount of time they actually spend outside. So, instead, you can set up an obstacle course in your basement by using couch cushions and more. You can also try to go to a local consignment shop and buy a little trampoline. Or, if you’re desperate and just don’t care anymore, let them ride their little tricycles and baby bikes in the house or jump on your bed. Desperate times call for desperate measures—but be safe!

4. Art

Again, Pinterest was my saving grace for looking up different art projects for the kids when they were younger {now, the art teachers do that}. So, during the winter, I’d look up various age-appropriate winter crafts or projects we could make together: Valentine’s day, something wintery, etc. Just be sure you have very low expectations of how these will turn out and let your child lead. Oh, and prepare for a mess.

5. Get Out or Stay in Your Jammies

Finally, listen to your gut. Do you desperately need to get out of the house and interact with other human beings? Do it. Lookup a local storytime at your library or Barnes n’ Noble, head to the Farmers’ Market, take a gymnastics class, and more. Or if staying in your jammies and not brushing your teeth all day feels right, do that. It’s okay if the kids get a little more screen time than usual during these winter months—it’s all about survival, remember?

The biggest tip I can give you is to have low expectations. There will be days when you think you cannot take another day, but we’re mothers; we can accomplish anything.

What are your tips for surviving winter with the littles?