STAY WARM FOR SNOW PLAY
The snow day is a rite of passage for school-age children nationwide, and kids in the metro Atlanta area are having their turn this week. Before you let them head outdoors for sledding, making snowballs or just slipping and sliding down the street, make sure they are dressed for extended outdoor play. Here are some tips from Christian Sherritt, owner of Sparkle Bugs Boutique in Hiram.
Layer, layer, layer. "Put on two pairs of pants or wear tights under pants," Sherritt said. "That way, if clothes get wet, there is another layer below." On top, wear shirts, sweaters then jackets, she said.
Cover extremities. "Definitely put a couple of hats on the head and as much covering on all the extremities as possible," Sherritt said.
Wear waterproof materials. "Your mittens get cold and wet quick," Sherritt said. Look for gloves and jackets in waterproof nylon or wool materials.
Take breaks. Snow play doesn't have to last forever, Sherritt said. "Keep coming in for breaks to have some warm hot chocolate and then go back out."
Catch Sparkle Bugs and other local children's clothing boutiques at the annual Children's Boutique Warehouse Sale, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 19 at Atlantic Station (next to Dillard's).
— Nedra Rhone
PLAYING IN THE SLUSH
What we have left as the snow melts isn’t ideal for snowball fights, forts or sliding, though the steeper driveways on some streets can still serve as impromptu toboggan runs. Lacking a toboggan, one of our neighbors substituted a hard plastic Little Tykes pool, creating a slow, spinning four-kid bobsled. (Please station a spotter at the bottom of the drive to watch for traffic.)
In the absence of decent slopes, take your children for a walk. Your neighborhood creek will be transformed by the snow, and you will see birds and animal tracks with new eyes.
Those in the northern suburbs may see deer in the yard. (Set out birdseed on a plastic tray to bring the wildlife into your own domain.)
The snow can make old games new again. If the yard isn’t a muddy slough, throw the football.
Also, older kids should be advised, this is a rare business opportunity. You can broom off your own car with your parents or chop the ice off your neighbor’s sidewalk for some pocket cash.
— Bo Emerson
WHEN THE SNOW DAY COMES INDOORS
Your kids are home and you are, too. The snow has turned to slush, and everyone is wet and tired.
For indoor entertainment, there are the usual suspects: television, video games and movies on DVD. But maybe you want to get involved.
Wii sports games can put grown-ups and youngsters on even footing, battling it out on the tennis court or in the boxing ring, and racing games such as Mario Kart let you compete on the racetrack.
On the other hand, hot chocolate around the breakfast table, with a game of Bananagrams, Apples to Apples or Rummikub, appeals to parents and grade-schoolers, and offers respite from the blaring TV.
Snow days mean suspending the usual rules. For younger kids, this could be the time for the classic blanket house. After tiring each other out in the yard, try an indoor picnic in a living room fuzzy castle. Bring in flashlights and favorite books and you’ve got a party.
— Bo Emerson
WEBSITES THAT KEEP KIDS WARMED UP FOR LEARNING
Try to sneak a little learning into your children's snow day -- or at the very least occupy them with a smart diversion -- with these handy websites:
www.starfall.com: A variety of exercises for pre-k through second-graders that helps teach reading though phonics. It's popular in schools because its lessons don't involve commercial characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants.
www.dltk-holidays.com/winter: Crafts, games, puzzles, printable activities and more with an appropriate brrr-season theme.
www.dulemba.com: Avondale Estates children's book author and illustrator Elizabeth O. Dulemba creates and posts a new coloring page every Tuesday. There are numerous ones that encourage reading and the love of school, and a half-dozen winter-themed ones.
http://wvde.state.wv.us/learn21: In West Virginia, where they know something about snow days, the state's Department of Education has created the Learn21 site to keep kids academically focused, with exercises for grades pre-k up to 12. For the older students, for instance, there are lessons on trigonometry, mapping the Oregon Trail and every high-schooler's friends: protons, neutrons and electrons.
www.childrensmuseumatlanta.org/parents/links: Imagine It, a children's museum in Atlanta, has some handy educational links, including NASA's space exploration-oriented site and the Food and Drug Administration's site offering a game that builds nutrition knowledge.
— Howard Pousner
GET HOMEBOUND KIDS TO DO HOUSEWORK
Tuesday was Day 2 of school closings for a number of counties across the state. How do you keep your homebound kids from wrecking your home? Professional organizer Deniece Schofield offers a few ideas for funneling all that extra energy into actually getting the house organized.
- Make it a game. "Set a timer for 15 minutes and say, 'Let's see how many things we can pick up,' " Schofield said.
- Offer a reward. Every game has a winner, and cleaning is no different. Give kids a reward -- such as making cookies or getting a dollar for every 10 jobs finished -- when the job is complete. "Attaching some kind of reward to it or some kind of fun activity afterward is less mundane than just saying, 'Get in that room and clean it up right now!' " Schofield said.
- Keep tasks fairly simple. Have children organize toys that have been misplaced over the weeks to get them back to square one, Schofield said, such as putting all the Legos in a bucket or putting all the Matchbox cars back in the toy box.
- Be physically present. "Kids are going to do better if you are physically present even if you are just sitting on the bed reading a magazine," said Schofield. If you're not there, whatever the task may be, it may not get done.
— Nedra Rhone
STUCK INSIDE? LET'S WATCH SOME TV
So what if TV isn’t the most productive way to pass a few hours? These are desperate times, people, so pick up the remote with confidence, not shame, and sink into a few hours of entertainment with no scarves or snow boots required.
- If you can't bear the endless chatter of the morning news/talk shows, tune into the morning blocks of sitcom repeats. From 8-11 a.m., Lifetime offers the stellar lineup of "Will & Grace," "Frasier" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine," while TBS will keep you chuckling from 10-11:30 a.m. with its reruns of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."
- Slapstick fans can head to Turner Classic Movies for its 24-hour "Laurel and Hardy" marathon, starting at 8 p.m. Tuesday and ending at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
- There is no funnier or stronger all-ages-appropriate lineup than ABC's Wednesday night slab of comedies. The underappreciated "The Middle kicks off at 8 p.m. followed by the uneven-but-often-charming "Better With You." At 9 p.m., "Modern Family" continues its flawless season, and at 9:30 p.m., "Cougar Town" again shows its warm and fuzzy underbelly.
— Melissa Ruggieri
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT SNOW AND DOGS
Some metro Atlanta dogs are having just as hard a time in the snow as the rest of us. Dr. Kelly Bradley, associate veterinarian at Clairmont Animal Hospital in Decatur, says it’s true that dogs can go a little nuts in the snow and that owners should be mindful that the cold and ice can alter a pet’s normal behavior.
“One of my own dogs has some anxiety issues, so being on an unsteady surface is very difficult for him. Some breeds are really well adapted to snow by nature, and others aren’t.”
Bradley says dogs such as huskies, Alaskan malamutes, St. Bernards and other breeds with thick coats will probably enjoy and feel at home in the snow while smaller dogs like terriers and toy breeds with thin coats could be skittish outside.
She advises keeping dogs leashed outside, especially when children and other dogs are present, unless in a specified leash-free zone like a dog park.
“Animals can get excited in the snow and become anxious. So if there are small children or other dogs around, there could be fearful behavior that could lead to injury to other dogs or people.”
Bradley said younger dogs are more inquisitive and more likely to be adaptable to snow, while older dogs, particularly with arthritis or joint pain, risk injury sliding around, especially if they do not weigh enough to puncture the icy crust on this snow.
Dogs with heavy coats can stay outside for hours, while smaller dogs or dogs with light fur shouldn’t be out longer than an hour maximum.
“I recommend protection, like coats or carrying smaller dogs, and keeping them inside for the most part,” Bradley said.
— Lynn Peisner
STRESS LEVELS CAN RISE WHEN ROUTINE IS DISRUPTED
At first glance, those falling snowflakes may seem harmless enough.
Many metro Atlanta residents might relish a day off from work or school. But what happens when that one day stretches into two or three? For some, it's not long before cabin fever sets in.
Experts say any change in someone's normal routine can be stressful.
"We're used to going 90 miles per hour. Now everybody's here," said Miriam Bellamy, a Roswell-based licensed marriage and family therapist. "The kids are home, and that just adds much more to do for moms and dads. ... It intensifies things for people."
Experts say it can be doubly stressful for someone with workaholic tendencies or if there are stressful relationships in the family anyway.
It may also be hard for Southerners who aren't used to several days of ice and snow. Catherine Meltzer, a licensed clinical social worker with practices in Alpharetta and Woodstock, was raised in upstate New York.
"We were used to being very creative to keep our children and ourselves busy with hobbies," she said. This week, for instance, Meltzer is organizing family photos and doing more cooking than usual.
She also always has projects that need to be done, such as organizing her home and office. "You have to reframe your way of looking at the situation," she said. "Sometimes you have to look at it as an opportunity."
Skanda Miraglia, a senior yoga instructor at Kashi Atlanta in Candler Park, was surprised that 15 people managed to make it in for a morning class on Monday. "I think people still wanted to move their bodies a little bit," he said. "It's an excellent way to remove the stress."
Here are other ways to stay sane:
- Let the children go out to play in the snow -- join them if you wish.
- Try a new recipe.
- Organize your closet or office.
- Use this time to catch up with friends and relatives by phone or the computer.
- Walk around the neighborhood or exercise at home.
- Have family game time or watch a movie together.
- Read that book that's been on your nightstand for months.
— Shelia M. Poole
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