This past week when the Pacific Northwest was covered in a thick layer of smoke and we were staying inside gave me a glimpse into what a socially distanced winter might look like. It wasn’t pretty. Not to be a negative Nancy but I’m really concerned about this winter. Flu season plus the coronavirus means that we’ll still be socially distancing but we won’t have as much access to the outdoors.
I had thought that we’d be going to mommy and me classes, using my gym daycare, and having playdates this winter but COVID has taken all that away. So after a day of grieving those plans, I went back to the drawing board.
Here’s my plan to survive winter with my toddler, socially distance style. If any of you other moms have ideas, please share! I’ll include them in this post and we can all help support each other virtually this coming winter.
Plan one activity a day
Having something to do makes the day better for everyone. Ted likes trying new things, I’m not bored with the same routine, so it’s a win-win. We bake, color, do finger painting, play with stickers. Somedays we’ll have an outing like to go and get a coffee or visit Andrew at work. When the weather allows, we go to the park and he can run and climb to his hearts content. The key for me is to plan out these activities in advance. That way I’m not trying to pull something together last minute while Teddy’s underfoot.
Play in a different room
Teddy normally plays in the living room. One day when it was rainy and gross outside, I let him bring books into our bedroom where he played for almost an hour in our bed. The novelty of the new space was great for him and it ended up being a fun-filled afternoon. I’ve also rearranged his room so that we can play in there sometime when he needs a change of scenery.
Invest in winter gear
The reality is we’re probably going to end up outside in the winter. I’ve come to terms with it and have started investing in proper winter gear for Teddy. Here in Seattle, that means getting some decent rain gear for your toddler. Friends of mine have recommended these rain suits and these rain pants. Rain boots too because his sneakers get soaked every time he plays in the rain.
My mom also found this warm puffer coat for his that will be great for the colder months. And I already have these snow pants for when it starts to really get cold.
Start rotating toys
I learned about this from Blair and it’s such a great tip. You basically store a majority of your kid’s toys and only leave out about 6 at a time. After a week or two, you swap out those six for “new” ones. This way they aren’t overwhelmed by options and actually have constructive playtime with their toys.
