Winter is fast approaching, and you know what that means. Cold weather, falling leaves, beautiful crisp mornings, and endless, endless, endless hours of kids complaining. It seems that the winter weather can bring out the worst in the attitudes of children. This isn’t to condemn our children, we were equally as testing and annoying when we were little, but now it’s our turn to parent. This is karma for all the tantrums you once threw as a child. Don’t worry, when your children grow up and have kids of their own, they will be subject to the same treatment. The karmic circle of life goes on.
There’s a weirdly evocative quality of the winter conditions to bring out the worst in our children. Walking in the high street becomes that little bit more testing for them. Dropping a doll on the floor is just that little bit more traumatic. Hey, we’ve all been there, and dropping your street food or other purchase is likely to evoke the desire to throw a tantrum yourself.
However, we have to set the example here, so here are some great ways to keep your children active and occupied during their least favourite season of all:
Winter Vacations
Now, winter oppresses us more when we’re stuck with our daily schedule. Running around the local shopping mall is boring to the point of tears for a kid, but going on vacation? That’s a different story. Heading to Lapland, Disneyland or even a relaxing getaway in a forest resort can keep your kids active, and at least engaged enough to fall asleep at a regular time. The magic of winter will start to rear its head in these locations, and your kids might even accidentally enjoy themselves. This could also be a place for your children to relax and play with kids their own age, which is wonderful for them. Before you know it, you might actually slip into some winter fun too. The horror!
Adventure Farm
Put the words ‘ adventure’ and ‘farm’ together, and you’re likely to pause in thought for a few moments. How could a farm be an adventure? Are you going to simulate the passage and time of building the infrastructure of a farm over the course of decades, as some form of hyper-realistic and frankly weird simulation game? Of course not. You’d actually be surprised at how well those things can fit together. This children’s adventure farm is an amusement park in its own ride, featuring rides, crafts, creativity, and more importantly getting in nature.
It’s always horrific seeing a child mistakenly identify where their food comes from. You’re probably having nightmares recalling how that child in your daughter's class once replied ‘a factory’ when asked how milk was made. Don’t let your kids be one of these kids. Give them a healthy and natural understanding of the rural world and the food supply chain that none of us would exist without, to prevent your children from becoming spoiled and ignorant in their suburban or city way of life. Who says holidays have to be fully indulgent?
With these fun tips, you may even enjoy your time over the winter, and complain less than the passive aggressive tone we’ve used in this article. At the end of the day, the winter months are only as bearable as the festive season and close-knit nature of your family allows you to be, so invest your time in these with a large heart and you can see you ended the year right.
