Dear Parents,
As we were opening the school on this rainy morning, I was
thinking back to rainy days when I was young. As a kid, a rainy day is
exciting! It’s new and fun… there are puddles and rain boots and umbrellas
and the school schedule is usually different. I remember having the older kids
come help entertain us and keep us occupied and playing “Heads Up Seven Up” in
the classroom at lunchtime. I thought it was the greatest thing ever.
As a parent, a rainy day isn’t always quite so desirable. Instead
of being thrilled to twirl an umbrella and admire our boots, we are usually searching
for rain boots and rain coats and avoiding puddles and carrying umbrellas and
washing extra laundry and dealing with the cabin fever and the misdirected
energy, aren’t we? We are trying to find ways to keep the kids occupied and we
are nagging them to turn off the TV and pick up the toys they have strewn all
over the house. It’s hard being stuck inside, isn’t it?
But it doesn’t have to be that way!
First of all, don’t be stuck inside! There is nothing about
rain that means you can’t enjoy heading out. Put on a rain coat and go for a
walk! A walk in the rain is a whole different experience than a walk on a sunny
day. There are so many new things to observe and enjoy. Find puddles, and let
the kids splash in them. Let them jump and stomp until they exhaust themselves.
Watch leaves and sticks float. Toss in rocks and watch the splash. Fold a piece
of paper into a boat and let it sail away. Watch the rain rush down the gutters
and pour into the storm drains. Rescue worms. Look for reflections on the wet
ground. Stand under a tree and watch the rain pour all around you. Warning: Your
kids will get wet. Their clothes might get soaked through and they might start
to shiver and get blue lips. When you’ve had enough or they’ve had enough, it’s
all reversible. Head back inside, dry off, and get on warm cozy clothes.
Nothing feels better than cuddling up in a big blanket and starting to feel your
fingers and toes again. You won’t suffer anything that you can’t fix in a few
minutes and a fresh set of clothes (or better yet… warm pajamas and slippers!).
Just the other day when it was raining one of the kids asked
“Can we go out to play?” Usually, if it isn’t raining hard, we will indeed take
the kids outside even if it’s just for a little bit. This time, though, it was
raining a little too much. I said we couldn’t because of the rain, and he
replied “We can put our jackets on!” His tone of voice was pretty incredulous
that I hadn’t thought of that idea, and I had to laugh. It seems so obvious,
even to a 4-year-old. Just put on a jacket! You don’t need anything else to
enjoy a good rainy day.
Once you have spent your time outside and gotten out some
wiggles and done some exploring, you might still have a few hours left in your
long rainy day. This is the time to allow the kids to be creative. Get out some
things you don’t usually play with, because the novelty will translate into a
longer attention span.
I love to let my kids build. Some of the ordinary household objects
that I save just for rainy days are aluminum foil, masking tape, and rolls of
brown paper (the kind you use for mailing a box). I let the kids use as much as they want of these items.
They have done so many different things with these three things over the years.
They have made forts with the tape and paper and our furniture. They have
created sculptures out of foil. They have stretched tape all across the hallway
and created a series of “laser beams” that they have to climb over and under to
get down the hallway alive. They have colored on foil with sharpies, taped
their hostage stuffed animals into jail, and made hopscotch on the kitchen
floor. There is no end to what they can do with these simple supplies. I find
that the trick is that we only use these things in this way when it is a rainy
day. This keeps it new and exciting. (The rest of the time, I use foil for
wrapping food, tape in small pieces as needed, and paper for wrapping boxes.)
Bonus? When the kids are done, the mess gets swooped into a trashcan in less
than 3 minutes. There is nothing spilled, and nothing damaged.
Another great building experience is to get out mini
marshmallows and toothpicks. See how tall you can make a tower. Or how long you
can make a bridge. Build a ladder. Make a box.
Finally, keep a couple of toys that are just for back-up on
rainy days. When everything else has run its course, pull out the special toys.
I like jigsaw puzzles and board games. Maybe you have a specific set of train
tracks, plastic animals, blocks, or stickers. Again, if they are just
specifically for use on a day when you are stuck inside, they will seem new and
exciting to the kids.
Most of all, don’t stress! Rainy days can be fun and
exciting and something to look forward to. If you don’t feel quite that optimistic about a rainy day, at
least it doesn’t have to be any different than a sunny day. Take some time to
play outside, some time to play inside, and then snuggle up and read a good
book together. You’ll make memories and you’ll make the time magically fly
by. What more can you hope for your
children’s childhood?
Miss Susan
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