How many of you remember as a child how exciting it was when the television announcer declared the schools were closed today due to ice and/or snow? As a child, I remember sitting in front of the television and monitoring those storm systems the second the weatherman announced the possibility of any form of wintry precipitation. I spent some of my childhood in Ohio so snow has not been a scarce commodity for me. However, it is still exciting when the white stuff falls. I remember as a child my mother waking us up in the middle of the night so we could view the wintry precipitation. We would play outside all day. We lived at the top of a large hill and would spend hours upon hours sledding down this hill on various types of sleds; a real one we brought from Ohio, metal trash can lids, cardboard, whatever we could find. We would come in for a hot lunch, then go back out to build forts and have a snowball war.

Now, as a parent, the term “snow day” has several other connotations and I closely monitor those storm systems for very different reasons.

Fear

• I usually still have to trek through this stuff to get to work and the biggest challenge is avoiding all the other people attempting the same thing

Extra Housework

• Laundering all those extra wet clothes, gloves, ski bibs
• Cleaning up all the mud and snow that gets tracked throughout the house by both child and dog; which really makes me glad I have laminate flooring now
• How many times have you stepped on wet snow in your stocking feet this past week?

Stress

• What about cabin fever, when it is too icy for the kids to get outside and play?
• There is only so much paper in the house to color and make into paper dolls, which does not expend all that wonderful energy kids seem to generate
• Hoping your kids don’t get sick, knowing they will because you don’t have easy access to health care
• Hoping the current food supply will get you through this event knowing your kids will eat anything that isn’t nailed down
• What if the electricity goes out? We have a fire place and camping equipment so eating is not so scary any more but, how will I dry my hair?
• Knowing the amount of work that awaits your return to the office

Relaxation

• I find it very relaxing to watch those flakes fall. It is very quiet. This is an opportunity for me to just sit and enjoy nature and experience her many emotions.
• I get to use the excuse “I couldn’t get out of my driveway” so I don’t have to run those errands that continue to stack up regardless of the weather situation outside
• I like when I actually get to sit at the kitchen window and watch the interaction of the birds and squirrels around the bird feeder (animals are hilarious)

Family Time

• Now that my children are older, these days mean that we are all together, in the same building, at the same time.
• There is no running to the Taco Bell down the street to unlock a car because someone locked the keys in it and left the car running
• We cook together; from scratch
• We clean together; teaching your kids that you cannot stuff the wet snow clothes in the closet
• We play together, teaching your children the fine art of building a snowman, then finding vegetables you know no one will eat for the final touches
• Spending time finding items in your garage to slide down the driveway on, helping to build ammunition for the neighborhood snowball fight, watching the wonder in your child’s face when they find the longest icicle ever and now your freezer is fully stocked for the winter

Yes, the words “Snow Day” has many different meanings now. What did it mean to you? Share your meaning and experiences with us on Facebook.