Hey Mom - Are You Ready For The Colder Weather?

Fall is here and the kids are playing outside in the cooler weather. It is delightful and exhilarating. They come in rosy cheeked and smelling of leaves and crisp air. You have already settled into the schedules of the new school year and are probably anticipating the coming holidays. Are you ready for the cold weather and all that that entails? Most kids don't play outside as much in the cold winter so what are you doing to get ready for the long hours indoors? Is there something you could be doing now to help you keep your sanity later?

I can remember stocking up on craft supplies - colored paper, markers, crayons, paste, play doh - all of the things that make a cold afternoon busy fun. What are your kid's favorite crafts? Do they like to draw, paint, sculpt, sew, build airplanes - what keeps their attention longest? Now is the time to gather the right supplies so you will have them when you need them.

What about cooking? Do your kids love to cook? Do you have hot chocolate, marshmallows, brownie mix, popcorn, etc., etc., etc. on hand? My own kids loved to have an after school snack and often wanted to make it themselves (with a little supervision of course.) Being in the kitchen together is fun if you have the right supplies stocked away. It can be disastrous if you don't and they are all set to make something. I can just hear the wails of disappointment now!

How about your game supply? Do you have all the parts and pieces of their favorite board games? Are the DVD's in their right covers? Put your kids to work sorting all of the game parts so that they are ready on the first cold day. You may have to do a little shopping to get everything back in working order but it will be worth it when the cries of "I'm bored!" begin. There is nothing worse than trying to play a game with pieces and parts missing. No fun.

Some mom's I know keep some of their winter supplies packed away so that they can rotate them from time to time. That way kids don't become bored with the same old stuff. They also don't become overwhelmed with a mountain of choices about what they want to do with their time.

What will work for you?

Lynn Banis PhD, MCC is known as America's High Performance Coach. Lynn specializes in helping women in leadership positions or wanting to be in leadership positions make the most of their opportunities and potential. She enjoys helping executives and entrepreneurs create their ultimate impact. Her years of working with small and large businesses has given her a depth of knowledge that is invaluable to her clients both as a business and a life coach.

Lynn is the autor of two books "The Discovery Journal" and "Discovery Points: A Coaching Guide to Getting Unstuck." Both can be obtained under Lynn's name at http://www.lulu.com. You can reach her at http://www.discoverypointcoaching.com. Also check out Lynn's other businesses: Coach Academy Texas, a cutting edge coach training company; and Turnkey Coaching Solutions, a coaching program management and contract coach staffing company.



Read more posts from the Hey Mom Series here, here and here, or click on the "Parenting" tab under Labels in my side bar. Moms work hard and deserve encouragement! Please share this post with other Moms you know.