Ok, people. It’s flu season and winter and we know you’re going to have some days where you’re stuck indoors because of weather or being UNDER the weather…. It happens. Or maybe you have too many little kids and you just CANNOT with a Walmart run. It is NOT worth finding the extra shoes and coats and snacks & sippy cups. We get that, too.
BEFORE it happens, prepare yourselves! Gird your loins! Suffering is always easier when it’s not a surprise, right?
We’re here to help you figure out what to have on hand at all times so you’re prepared for these sorts of days and not pulling your hair out in desperation.
When I (Bonnie) was a kid, my bff and I used to play what we’d call “JOURNEY” with our plastic Breyer model horses. We’d create elaborate soap opera type stories for them. They’d travel in families, pulling their wagons full of supplies across the tundra, facing wolves and other dangers…. We had to be sure they had all they needed in their wagons so they’d survive the trek. That’s you.
Here’s what you NEED TO HAVE in your wagon (home) at all times:
- Your non-negotiable beverages: coffee, tea, your fav creamer, what have you. Don’t get caught with a week of coffee-less snow days. It won’t be pretty.
- Pantry staples: What’s a fun thing all kids love to do when stuck inside? Make cookies! What’s the worst thing that can happen after you offer to make cookies?? You’re missing a key ingredient!! Pantry staples should always be stocked—flour, sugar, baking soda, vanilla, eggs & butter, chips.
Renee: pantry organization for a rainy day so you can SEE WHAT YOU HAVE AND DON’T HAVE.
- Stuff for waffles/pancakes, applesauce/fruit snacks, crackers & ginger ale/sprite (for upset tummies), bread for toast.
- Popcorn (for hanging on the couch watching movies)
- Treats that are stashed for 911’s like these rather than stuff they get on the regular. So, maybe some packets of rice krispy treats, some marshmallow fluff, hot chocolate, “cakes in a mug”, etc.
Batteries: When your kids are inside & stir crazy, this is when you can use the TOY ROTATION system you’ve already set up (!!!) and pull out some new-to-them toys they haven’t seen in a while. If these happen to need batteries, don’t be caught empty handed. We have a whole battery drawer where we keep plenty of all sizes, including the little disc ones and 9V (b/c of the 2 am smoke alarm beeps). You also don’t want to be without the ones you need for the digital thermometer if you’re checking temperatures all day long. Stock up & keep these on your “Staples” list. Also, flashlights are handy & potentially novel toys for playing indoors and they will need batteries, too.
Medicines: The last thing you want to do when you have a sick child is to run them into the pharmacy or drugstore or whatever when they’re feeling awful. Good idea to keep on hand: children’s Tylenol or ibuprofen; cough medicine; bandaids, gas-X, orajel, Claritin, Benadryl.
Buy these in bulk at Sam’s or Costco or BJs… (Same is a good practice for feminine products, diapers, wipes. No one wants to make a store run in a snowstorm or torrential downpour for any of these).
(Benadryl & hydrogen peroxide are also great to have on hand if you have PETS—dogs in particular—b/c it may save you an emergency vet visit…).
Natural remedies: Vitamin D drops, Zinc, magnesium, bone broth, saline nasal spray, hot and cold packs, Kleenex, and remember, mild fevers are a good indication that the immune system is doing its job. But fevers are not just a byproduct of the immune response.
In fact, an elevated body temperature triggers cellular mechanisms that ensure the immune system takes appropriate action against the offending virus or bacteria.
So, don’t take Tylenol unless you have to.
Think about nebulizer or inhaler supplies if you’re dealing with breathing issues, or a good humidifier with a fresh filter.
Just so you’re not fumbling around in the middle of the night, take a minute to jot down the appropriate dosage instructions and tape them to the inside of your medicine cabinet so they’re handy when you need them. Don’t throw away the dosage cups or syringes when you’re done. Sterilize them & keep on hand…. If you have more than one sick kid at a time, you’re not sharing germs.
Idk about you, but when an illness had run thru our household, when it was done, I’d Clorox wipe the surfaces (doorknobs, remote, fridge handle, etc….) and get everyone a new toothbrush.
WHAT TO DO:
Those first couple of days of vacation or snow days might be a lovely break in your routine, giving everyone some time to relax and de-stress. After that… you need something other than constant screens to keep everyone sane. If it’s weather & not illness that has you at home, don’t rule out the outdoors…. There’s no such thing as bad weather; only bad clothing. It won’t hurt anyone a bit to jump in some puddles, get muddy, or walk in the snow.
With older kids:
Board games, books. Do some scavenger hunts. Play music to change the mood. Dance. Tackle a closet—may be a good time to go thru some clothes & see what they’ve outgrown. Look up some science experiments with household items on you tube or pinterest.
With younger kids:
You can still have some structure to your day so it doesn’t degenerate into complete aimlessness and destruction. Divide the day into segments (20-30 min or an hour depending on age of child) and have a rough schedule to work through. Read, go outside, snack or meal time, nap, play time, etc..) If you’re home because your child is sick, then all bets are off and you’re just doing what you need to do to make them feel better. Snuggles, rest, quiet play.
Consider having some of these things on hand BEFOREHAND for times when you need extra ideas/help:
- Dress Up Box: we talked about adding to this throughout the year in one of our Christmas episodes…. This is a good time to pull it out. Are you kids old enough to do a skit? Act out a bible story or nursery rhyme? Before you toss or donate your old purses, hats, scarves, shoes, etc., think about putting them in a dress up box. Old Halloween costumes, costume jewelry, props. Encourages fun & imaginative play.
- Crafts: paints (for fingers/toes); paint with water books,
- hobby lobby or dollar store craft kits that are a one and done thing. These are good to have on hand for snow days and travel with kids.
- Paper: we have a cabinet of paints, different markers, construction paper, glue, yarn, stickers, etc. on hand for crafts or school projects. You can do all manner of things with these. Do rubbings from things in the yard (leaves, rocks, etc.); trace & cut out shapes or use cookie cutters to trace & cut out and then “decorate” the cookies.
- Marble tracks. Magnet Tiles.
- Painter’s Tape: won’t damage surfaces….so you can make a giant hopscotch grid on the floor; you can make car “roads” or train “tracks”. Make a giant tic-tac-toe board to play with throw pillows and shoes. Painter’s tape is great for small motor skills for babies/toddlers too.
- Water Play: Bath tub is a great container for younger kids. Do a bath at a different time of day than usual. You can use bath crayons, fizzies, or chalk. So many things can go in the bath….tupperware & tablespoons, doll clothes (to “wash” and hang dry), all kinds of plastic toys. Get some plastic travel containers from the dollar store—spray bottles and squirt ones—to use on the bathtub walls.
- Or…use the kitchen sink instead. Fill it with soapy water & let them “wash” some plastic dishes or some of the dishes/food from a play kitchen. Use a sturdy step stool.
- How about making some musical instruments? Save old wrapping paper or TP/paper towel tubes. Fill them with dried beans to make a shaker. Have a few old cans? They can be drums or a “xylophone” type instrument. What can you blow into, strum, tap, or shake? Make a video of the family band.
- Forts, tunnels, tents. You’re home all day and no one is going anywhere. That’s what the couch is for. Pull out some sheets & blankets and make a fun cubby hole area.
- Bringing outside toys in?? This is personal preference & depends on your available space/tolerance… small riding toys or skates/scooters? Worth it?
To sum it up, I guess what we’re talking about is what do we do when we get the surprise of an unexpected day at home? And I (Renee) thought it was interesting to find out what happens to us psychologically and physiologically when a surprise is being sprung on us.
I found this woman, Tania Luna, who is the co-author of “Surprise: Embrace the Unpredictable and Engineer the Unexpected” and she breaks it down in an article titled Surprise! Why the Unexpected Feels Good and Why It’s Good for Us.
Luna researches surprises, has given TED talks on surprises, and co-founded Surprise Industries. There is actually some cool things going on in our brains when we get a good surprise, like a snow day or even a day at home with a minor illness.
She says, “Shock is part of the surprise spectrum—it’s just one kind of surprise,” says Luna. “But surprise is actually categorized as something unexpected or misexpected. It’s anytime that you were wrong and your brain tells you about it.”
When people are surprised by something or someone, Luna says that the human brain goes through the “surprise sequence.”
“It’s a strong neuro alert that tells us that something is important about this moment and we have to pay attention,” she says. “Our cognitive resources are basically hijacked and pulled into the moment. That’s one of the things that’s really uncomfortable for some people, but also exciting for some people because your attention is completely in the moment.”
Being surprised actually causes humans to physically freeze for 1/25th of a second. After humans freeze, surprises usually trigger something in the brain that Luna calls “find”—it’s a moment that causes humans to generate extreme curiosity in an attempt to figure out what is happening during a surprise.
“The next thing is shift,” she says. “If the surprise is something that forces you to change your perspective then you have to change the way you’ve been looking at things. If I wasn’t expecting you to surprise me or give me a gift, and now I’ve just gotten this pleasant experience, I have to change the way I think about you and maybe even our whole relationship.”
When we’re surprised, for better or for worse, our emotions intensify up to 400 percent. If we’re surprised with something positive, we’ll feel more intense feelings of happiness or joy than we normally would had absent the surprise. Similarly, if we’re surprised by something negative, our feelings of anger, despair or unhappiness will also intensify because of the surprise.
So, give your brain a boost by planning ahead for the surprise of snow days, sick days, or just mental health days (if you take them!). Even the extraverts among us can benefit from and enjoy hunkering down at home from time to time.