My kids love it, sledding, playing in outdoor fort, playing video games, staying up late. This is some of the best stuff of childhood. Don't sweat it.

My HSer has been doing SAT prep, applying for summer activities, meeting online for a big club activity. And believe it or not, one of her AP class instructors sent out a big set of homework. That's what she's doing right now.

It's actually been a relatively productive week.

They still had sports practice twice this week and a tournament in New England this weekend. They built a fort outside and went tobogganing with their friends and hung out with their siblings gaming. They also helped shovel our driveway and sidewalks. DD2 made a bunch of bracelets and other art and reorganized her room.

Practicing for all county band, reading, building some models he got for Xmas.

DC is 6yo

Lots of TV

Some art projects (painting kits we had lying around). Kinetic sand - used it to build sets for stories we made up and told to each other during "storytime". Made cookies. Spent a lot of time putting her stuffies down for a nap in the living room 😂

Thankfully my parents are nearby. Though they can't watch her every day they have done 2 days this week. That has given her some variety and time for DH and I to work.

HS
working on olympiad coming up

It's not too cold if you dress properly! But mine are over it at this point. They didn't go outside at all yesterday. They were gung ho Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. At this point, I don't care what they do as long as there's no blood or fire.

My kid has the flu so this has been helpful as the absences won't pile up. Just vegging during recovery with lots of screentime.

I gave my kid a prompt each morning and she had the day to develop a short story that she presented to me in the evening. Made for some fun reads

My fourth grader has mostly read, gone sledding, and done craft projects from a book she got for Christmas. She watches some TV in the afternoon. Right now I hear her playing Mancala by herself and recording the results of different moves.

They read their books and magazines and make up stories and play them out. Each has a stack of silly books and graphic novels and more literary books they are getting through. A ton of crafts with hot glue guns and cardboard and markers etc. I have been WFH but only a few live meetings and they have entertained themselves. I've made the meals and they have helped and cleared dishes and emptied dishwasher etc.
we did outside for a bit every day in the back yard. They are old enough I can leave them there for 30-40 min by themselves and watch from window whole working.
We have also traded childcare with neighbors so some of the days we have had playdates with 2 other kids here or my kids go across the street.

They get outside for at least an hour, or 3 or 4. Yes, it's cold and slippery. It's also fun and unusual! they're starting to do stuff like make "ice sculptures" by stacking big flat pieces into towers. They stay out longer if friends are out.

We let them watch a couple hours of TV in the morning. Legos. Board games, which sometimes end in argumente. That's basically the day.

Are these all trolls who claim that kids can't go outside??? I've read at least three posts like this.

I can't even begin to address the parenting and worldview here.

I come from a cold country, but even my husband, who comes from a tropical country, was all in, from the time the kids were little, to bundle them up and take them outside to play in the cold and snow/ice.

My kids made an igloo yesterday. We walk the dog every day and have fun on the ice and mountains of frozen sludge that the snowplows push against the sidewalk.

How is this hard?

Do you not teach your children to be self suffient?

Teach them how to make breakfast, lunch and dinner. Teach them how to clean the house as a game.

Set up arts and crafts.

Put them in front of a screen for a few hours it will not kill them.

No you can not drop your kids off you had them now be a parent.

My ES kids do nothing. It is so cold and slippery outside, so I cannot kick them out to play. Someone mentions recreational center is open, but they are too young to be dropped off without a guardian. I need internet access to remote work.

With the forecast of possibly more snowfall this weekend, I think no school till next week Monday or maybe Tuesday.