The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play.
So we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day.I sat there with Sally. We sat there, we two.
And I said, ‘how I wish we had something to do!‘Too wet to go out
And too cold to play ball.
So we sat in the house.
We did nothing at all.
Rainy Days. Murky days.
Stay-in-the-house-all-day kind of days.
Days when it’s tough to stay positive – at least for me.
As a young mom, I remember weeks on end of this type of day. Too cold, wet, and muddy to let the kiddos play outside. Yet the walls in the house seemed to be closing in. We all just wanted to go outside!
With three kiddos 5 and under, there’s a lot of energy and wiggles that need expression. So what’s a mom to do?
- Check my attitude. Yup, that’s right. The emotions of the day start with Mom. Am I going to be thankful for the gift of today? Or, am I going to choose to be grumpy because it’s gloomy outside? My choice. It will affect my kiddos.
- Turn off the TV and put on some fun music. Nothing worse than a gloomy day in front of the TV. Why not put on some fun music that will lift your spirits and that of your kiddos. Pretty soon, not only will you be dancing, but also you’ll be smiling and singing along. Amazing what one little switch will do to all your attitudes.
- Engage your kids in a project you need to do around the house. It doesn’t have to be anything major, but something that isn’t part of the normal routine. Planning a garage sale? Start pulling the items together. Want to hang up some pictures? Have the kiddos help you figure out what and where. Make it fun not punishment.
- Play a game. Hide and seek. A board game your kiddos love. Build a fort under the dining room table. Make it fun and lighthearted. You can clean up the mess later.
- Invite another mom and her kiddos over to play. Bonus adult time!
- Go to an indoor park or play area and let them run. Invite a friend or two to go along. The kiddos will enjoy playing together and you’ll get some adult conversation. Doesn’t need to cost a lot of money or any at all; blowing your budget only adds to the gloom.
Basically, with the weeks on end of rain, I had to find ways to create “sunshine” in my home.
As the rain continues today, the memories flood back of those days of unexpected fun during the rain.
- Marching and dancing around the house singing as loud as we could
- Fantastic Lego creations
- Cookie baking sessions
- Picnic lunch under the fort
- A cup of tea with a friend while our kids played
- Splashing in mud puddles while we ran to and from the car
- Playing with Play-Doh all over the kitchen table
- A short time of sorting through our things to give away to others in need
Wonderful memories. Captured moments of extraordinary joy. It didn’t work perfectly every day, but, when my attitude was “sunny”, the days went pretty well.
It all comes down to a choice.
Choosing to be thankful no matter what the circumstances will change your attitude and your day.
What do you do to add sunshine on the gloomy days? Leave a comment below.
Remember: capture the extraordinary moments in the ordinariness of today.
