What Fresh Hell Is Winter?

What do we do when the magic of the holiday season is behind us, spring is months away, and we have to keep kids busy for months more of cold weather until then? Melanie from our FB group wrote in to say:

Can we talk about the transition out of the festive season and into plain ol' winter? We went all out celebrating this year with my kids (3 and 1) . Now things are going to be pretty quiet for the next couple of months. I'm a stay at home mom in a very rural area where January and February mean cold, ice and bad roads. Realistically, we're not going to be going as many places or seeing as many people. Even getting outside with two tiny kids is a big job. How can I help ease my 3yo back into her normal routine when I too tend to be susceptible to the winter blahs and burnout this time of year? I can feel the loneliness setting in. Does anyone else mind this time of year or is it just me?

It's not just you. Amy and Margaret discuss:

• Why women are more susceptible to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and how it manifests
• Why nobody actually likes ALL of winter– and why that's okay
• What works to keep them going during these gray days

From keeping up holiday lights a little longer to rebranding winter, our listeners gave some excellent suggestions for keeping the winter blues at bay - and keeping your kids entertained.

LINKS!

• Our episode "How Are We Going to Keep These Kids Busy?" (March 2020)
• Roecklein, Kathryn A, and Kelly J Rohan: Seasonal affective disorder: an overview and update
• Hannah Seo for The New York Times: What to Know About Seasonal Depression
• Pandora Dewan for Newsweek: 'Like Purgatory': Why We Can Feel Uneasy After Christmas

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