The REAL truth about snow days

You’ve seen the photos on Facebook and Twitter of smiling faces playing in the snow on snow days when kids are home from school. What do snow days look like for you and your family?

Here’s how I imagine a snow day for the Facebook mom who likes it when school is canceled:

8:30 a.m. Children wake up from sleeping in, stretch their arms over their head, then proceed to hug mom in the kitchen, where she’s already had two cups of coffee, her morning devotion time, and is just taking the first organic whole-grain pancakes off the griddle.

9:30 a.m. Children devise a game from their own imaginations that no one has ever thought up before. Hours of happy and quiet playtime ensue. Mom is able to get copious amounts of work done. Tasks she never accomplishes are crossed off her list. She puts dinner in the crockpot and enjoys the tantalizing smell of dinner and the feeling of accomplishment for the rest of the day.

1:00 p.m. After a lunch consisting of mostly fresh vegetables and fruit, the children resume their game, this time adding dimensions and levels that astound the mother.

4:00 p.m. Children need a break from each other, so they separate and read quietly.

5:00 p.m. Dad is about to arrive home from work. The children get out coloring supplies and make cards for their dad, welcoming him home. They also make cards for their mom, thanking her for the delightful day. Everyone hopes for a snow day tomorrow!

This is an actual snow day:

6:15 a.m. Child #2 wakes up earlier than ever. On school days, mom must shake child out of bed, but today, he’s standing by the side of the bed, scaring mom by standing there silently until she opens her eyes and stifles a scream. Mom pulls child into bed, certain there’s a delayed start for school due to weather, and closes eyes. Dad gives child his phone. Child plays games on it while parents attempt to sleep again. #BestParentsEver

7:15 a.m. Child #1 rolls out of bed. Again, earlier than any school day.

8:30 a.m. Mom writes blog post. The children are hungry and haven’t been fed. Mom keeps telling them: One more minute.

9:00 a.m. Children ask to watch a movie.

9:15 a.m. Children are screaming at each other. Mom runs over to find out why, only to find this is a new game they’ve invented. She contemplates stopping it, but decides she can handle 30 minutes of this game. Five minutes later, someone gets hurt. Children are separated into their own rooms.

9:45 a.m. Children put on sweet faces, apologize to each other in the hallway, and begin playing together again. Forty-five minutes of silence goes by. Mom checks on them, only to find child #1’s room in shambles. Clothes, toys, and books are everywhere. Both children are now done playing with this room and neither want to clean up.

10:30 a.m. Mom bribes children. If you clean up the room, you can watch a movie. Children clean in 2.5 seconds. Mom checks room and basically cleans up while children whine and pretend they can’t lift hands.

10:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Movies.

1:31 p.m. Mom realizes children should shut movie off. Screaming ensues because she forgot to feed them lunch and they are now ravenous beasts. Mom realizes she also forgot to feed them breakfast. A lunch of whatever is in the fridge, including sides of cereal, commences.

2:00 p.m. Children ask for snacks.

2:15 p.m. Children stare at mother and use the word bored.

2:30-3:30 p.m. Mom comes up with various activities. Children do each of these for five minutes and don’t clean up any of the craft materials before switching to a new activity.

3:30 p.m. Mom sees photos other moms have posted on Facebook telling about their wonderful snow day. Mom locks herself in bathroom in order to call best friend and have an over-the-phone counseling session about what is wrong with her as a mother. Hoping for entrance, children ram themselves into bathroom door repeatedly while mom is on the phone.

4:00 p.m. Children start running and screaming again, playing the game that seems only to include running and yelling. Mom hides in the laundry room.

5:00 p.m. Dad is about to arrive home from work. Children stare out the window longingly, then begin to push and argue with each other over their positions at the window. Child #2 turns porch lights on and off so many times that the lights stop working. Child #1 realizes today was an at-home instruction day, and crams four hours of homework into the next hour. (Mom should have had child #1 start this earlier!)

5:45 p.m. Mom looks through fridge to see what she should make for dinner.

6:00 p.m. Dad comes home to find children scavenging through refrigerator for their own dinner while mom nurses a glass of wine. Everyone prays that tomorrow is not a snow day!

Photo source:   snowday by David J, licensed under CC 2.0 (edited for brightness)

Jill Lynn

Jill Lynn is a hot mess, loud laughter and coffee addict who writes small-town happily ever afters. She lives near the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her husband and two children and can be found online at Jill-Lynn.com or on Facebook and Instagram. Her latest release, The Rancher’s Surprise Daughter, is in stores and online now.

tell us what you think