As a daycare mom of 7, I recently had a meltdown one night after a particularly hard day. I remember telling my husband, “I love these kids but they are driving me absolutely CRAZY!” The next day I sought some wise advice from a daycare mentor, friend and childcare guru of mine. I was doing some serious soul-searching when I asked her, “Did you ever have days when everything the kids did drove you nuts?” I expected her answer to be that of an angel with the patience of Mother Teresa. But her response was so profound… “Of course! It’s called cabin fever!”
If you are a Minnesota mama feeling the effects of mid-winter cabin fever, you are not alone! No, you don’t need Xanax. You haven’t completely lost your touch. What you need to do is pour yourself an extra cup of whatever helps and cut yourself some slack because these kids are not the normal, well-behaved dears you take care of the rest of the year. These kids are sunshine-deprived, inside-bound, energizer bunny, stir-crazy little monsters who are in serious need of springtime and exercise. I am not an expert but I have put together a few thoughts on the subject.
- Make good use of any and all distractions – This is exactly the time to pull out all the stops. If there is one toy you hate but the kids love to play with for hours on end, suck it up and haul that thing out. Their uninterrupted attention is well worth the temporary discomfort it may cause you. This could also mean you pull out some older toys they haven’t played with in a while. They may seem old to you but they will feel new to them – and that’s what’s important.
- Consider what will tire them out the most, then do it twice! – I have resorted to play- tunnel relay races, endless dance parties, bear-crawl walks and even contests to see who can run in place the longest. Nothing is out of the question.
- Don’t plan on doing any serious behavior modification during this time – Being overly ambitious is one of the fastest ways to get yourself into a room with padded walls. I’m not saying let all the rules fall to the wayside but this is not the time to tackle any serious issues. Deal with the immediate situations but then let it go.
- Don’t be above bribery – Consider what motivates them and use it to your advantage. In my house the kids love movies and while I don’t love the idea of TV zombies, I am not above bribery… and neither should you.
- Get them outside asap – I know it’s cold outside but as long as they won’t freeze into little kid-cicles, they will get out tons of energy tromping through the snow. This is where you can also enlist some of the suggestions from #2.
- Pamper yo-self! – Now is the perfect time to take advantage of husbands, grandparents, close friends, and family or anyone else you know who doesn’t have kids. Once they have been suckered into taking the kids for a while, use this time to pamper yourself! Consistent self-care is essential for cabin fever survival.
- Remind yourself that spring is right around the corner and by then your precious, darling children will have returned once again – Cabin fever is short-lived. You are strong! Stay the course! And if all else fails, at least you can lock yourself in the bathroom with some chocolates.
