Despite what you may think, winter is not only about spending for winter tires and warm clothes or about shovelling and forced hibernation. Because even if they are far from being the majority, we have found winter lovers who agreed to share their tips and help us learn to appreciate the white season.
Plan the introduction…
Yes, you need to be properly equipped if you want to appreciate the cold or at least to avoid being scared to just get out. Good warm clothes are a must. They are more expensive but you will appreciate the comfort and the protection against the biting winter cold. Furthermore, many specialized boutiques offer sensational annual sales that will make it much more affordable.
Take advantage of your little shopping spree (and of your savings!) to buy a few snow toys: a sleigh, plastic shovels, and other things depending on your child’s age and the distance between your home and the place where you want to play.
If you want to invest in a high quality sleigh, made in Quebec by a skilled craftsman, take a look at his collection and we assure you that you will literally fall in love with one of the pieces.
Active rather than passive
It is obvious that if we only tolerate wintertime instead of happily embracing its activities, it will be a long season.
Ok, I am not the first to tell you that outdoor activities can make you like winter a bit more. It’s easy to say when you love skiing, skating and cross-country skiing… especially while mothers are much less keen on sports that we would like to think and that argument has more or less no effect.
In this case, you can opt for simplicity: dress the kids warmly, grab the sleigh and go for a walk. You need to buy something near the house? Take your backpack with you and you will kill two birds with one stone.
And if there is not enough snow for your sleigh to slide and if the sidewalk is clean, grab the stroller instead… And if the kids are big enough, they can just walk.
If your garden or the park is covered with snow, snowmen and forts are always fun.
Cold and warming!
Going out – especially for a long time – must be punctuated with little warm breaks to be truly appreciated. Treat yourself, your couple and your family to board games, coffee and hot chocolate (children love these special permissions to satisfy their sweet tooth between meals). Or you can read with the whole family.
Avoid winter fatigue
- Stock up on vitamins with fruits and vegetables cocktails.
- Don’t forget the proteins (meats, eggs, fishes, daily products, dried fruits).
- Treat yourself while getting a portion of magnesium and trace elements with dark chocolate and dried apricots (rich in carotene).
- We tend to forget that the air is very dry during winter and that it is very important to remain hydrated by drinking 1.5 to 2 litres of water per day. Feel free to diversify your drinks by alternating water, tea, soups, etc.
Winter and your car…
Buy a remote starter kit if you don’t already have one but do not overly use it. It is not necessary to run your engine more than five minutes for your vehicle to be ready. Between the necessity to avoid air pollution and your desire to offer a warm ride to your children, you must find balance.
Mastering winter driving is no easy task and there are ways to achieve it: read our Winter driving article to find out more.
Good reasons to appreciate winter
Our children are our top priority and their happiness is more important than anything so let’s change out attitude towards winter for them. Indeed, most children love playing in the snow and we should not constantly spoil their fun by cursing the cold season.
Émilie, one of our Facebook friends, reminded us of a truth that is too often overlooked: Be positive ladies! We can’t control the weather so let’s learn to appreciate what life gives us! Personally, I think that the holiday season gave us enough joy to hold on until February!” That’s a very good way to look at things.
Tips and tricks from our community
I enrolled our children in ski lessons and it forces us to go out once a week…
Maryse
Many movies, good meals, evenings with the family, board games, etc. things that we never do during summertime because we are always outside. So during winter time, we spend our evenings with our friends and family.
Maggy
I try to tell myself that we are lucky to have all four seasons. I am thinking that every day that passes brings us closer to the warm days. I have children so I think I must show them how to appreciate winter. I want them to have good childhood memories not only of summer days but of winter too. Finally, I force myself to like winter.
Nathalie
What I like about winter: the smell of home-made bread or the slow cooker (that I use only during fall and winter), pyjama evenings and movies with the family, board games afternoons, my children’s red cheeks after a morning outside, home-made soup, snowmen…
Marie-Pier
During summertime, I almost don’t cook to avoid heating the house but in winter, I catch up with desserts, soups and meals. I love to play outside with my daughters, carry them in a sleigh and go back home with our beautiful red cheeks.
Lise
In addition to going out with my baby, I like: the good and warm soup with crackers that I eat wrapped in a big blanket while watching chick flicks and silly TV shows. To me, that’s what winter is all about!
Bianca
To tame winter, you must experience winter… play outside and enjoy it instead of watching it go by…
Caroline
Winter is all microbes and gastritis… The only thing I like is when there is a light snow falling in the evening after dinner and we can take a walk with our baby…
Mélanie
Going down South for a week!
Nathalie
