Burrrrrrrr

Helping to Cover Plants

I have definitely acclimated to the Florida weather!  It’s cold!  I’m from the Midwest and have experienced my share of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and even ice storms!  And before moving south, I lived in the Northeast where I enjoyed (not really) several feet of snow during my last winter there.  But that was years ago.  So now the weather forecasters are calling for the coldest air we’ve had in Florida in four years.  That doesn’t mean much to me; except I had to cover several plants today, and it’s time to wear socks around the house.  But for my almost three year old daughter, she is experiencing her coldest day yet (and still she doesn’t want to wear a coat).  What does she think about this cold weather?

This late cold spell of the season reminds me of an old Native American story about an old man (winter) who walks the earth freezing everything he touches.  He spends the winter with the Northwind (who is also a person in the story).  They are friends.  Then eventually, Northwind gets tired and goes back up north.  Finally, a young man comes to the old man’s icy home and invites himself inside.  He is the spring and is friends with the Southwind.  Basically, the young man warms all he touches and melts the ice where the old man roamed.  The old man and the young man quarrel for a while, but the young man finally defeats the old man, sending him north.  By doing so, the young man brings back the spring.  

I suppose this cold spell is the quarrel, and old man winter is not letting go of his home just yet.  But it will happen, and we will see warmer days again soon.  Before today’s technology, stories like these were told to reassure children that even though the winter may seem long and never ending, spring will come again.  Winter will be defeated.  And I’m sure during the winter, many of these stories were told over and over again.

That’s something you can do with your children too.  Tell them stories!  One of my favorite bedtime books to read is, Sleep Little Angel by Margaret Wise Brown.  It’s a beautiful poem about enjoying each season as they come and go.  The winter verse reads,

  

          “Sleep little angel,

          The sun goes down,

          The snow is white on the frozen ground.

          The snow is soft, and softly I’ll sing

          Of stars and every quiet thing.

          I will sing of tall black trees that fret,

          Lest you forget,

          Lest you forget,

          The ice and snow are not melted yet.”

There are plenty of books about seasons and winter, but also tell stories of your own childhood.  What were your winters like when you were a child?  What did you do during the winter?  Your child will love these!  Thinking about Mom or Dad as kids is fascinating for them.

In my case, I remember snow ice cream (my favorite part of winter), telling stories around the Ben Franklin stove because the power was out due to an ice storm, taking care of the animals in the barn when it was below freezing outside, sledding down hills, and making snow angels.  Unfortunately, my daughter won’t experience these types of winters while she lives in Florida.  But she enjoys hearing the stories.

Most importantly, these stories are reassuring to young children who may be experiencing a harsh winter for the first time or feel the winter doesn’t seem to end this year.  Stories help remind children that winter will end and spring will come.  They also give ideas of how to get through the long winter, and even how to enjoy it.  So take pleasure in these cold days with your children and tell them stories!