Turns out there's another Jonas about to take over a big part of the country, and he's not singing any music. Winter Storm Jonas is set to hit this weekend, bringing a whole lot of blizzard warnings to the East Coast. For many, preparing for a snowstorm means making sure there's enough wine and cheese to last the weekend, but those who have children are probably a little more nervous. If wine is the staple for adults, what's the one thing to have when you're stick in a blizzard with a kid?
Patience. From you.
I know, you thought it was going to be some life-saving product, right? Something guaranteed to keep them warm, happy, content, and avoid any sounds of whining all blizzard long. I'm sorry — if that item existed, I'd have already bought Amazon out by now.
Plus, it probably wouldn't be available on Prime.
Look, you already know the standard supplies. Have games to play, warm blankets in case the power goes out and you have no heat, food, their favorite snacks, and charged electronics. But one thing you may run steadily out of as the blizzard progresses? Patience.
And I get it. You're stuck inside, unless you do decide to venture out because your kids are begging you to play in the snow. And then after 30 sweaty minutes of stuffing everyone into their snow gear, you traipse outside to find out that, hey, it's cold AF out here. And the snow stings when it's falling, the baby keeps falling down, the older kids are throwing snowballs in each other's faces and everyone's crying and two minutes later, you're all back inside dripping water all over the floor.
You're constantly breaking up fights, you're stepping on LEGOs every two seconds, and once the power goes out, you're making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by the light on your iPhone and praying you can convince everyone it's bed time at 6 p.m..
But if you want your kids to enjoy the snow day, and if you want to make it through the blizzard as a family, you're going to need to have a whole lot of patience for them. Remember what it was like when you were a kid and there was a snow day? You weren't panicked about a big project at work, about the icy roads, about how you were all going to survive without Netflix — you were just stoked. And that's how your kids are right now.
So have another glass of wine, mama. Eat yourself some comforting carbs, and hang the wet mittens, socks, pants, and hats to dry. (Seriously, how many layers does one child need.) Don't waste your energy on keeping the house clean or the snow out of the front porch — you're going to need it for that next outdoor adventure.
Images: Joseph Choi/Flickr; Giphy (2)
