If you are a parent eyeing the upcoming weather forecast and feeling somewhat queezy, know that you are not alone. The snow, cold and ice of the Winter of 2014 has taken it's toll on parents.  Complaints like "I just can't seem to get into a routine" and "I can't get anything done" are common given multiple snow days and two hour delays. For some, this is a minor inconvenience but for others who are already impacted by the lack of sunshine and indoor confinement, it can lead to depression and anxiety. This combined with the stress of having housebound children can lead to conflict and snow days that feel endless.  Here are some ideas to get you through the next and (hopefully last) round of snow.

1.  Get out of the house. Play in the snow. If you can't,  bundle up the kids and get them outside. The energy release and outdoor lighting can be a mood enhancer and is well worth the resulting pile of wet clothes.

2.  Plan an "event" or two during the day. The "event" is simply a planned activity to help structure the day. Ideas are baking cookies, playing a board game or playing hide and seek. More adventurous ideas might include a tasting contest where the child is blind folded and has to guess what you give them to taste or a drawing or writing contest between you and the kids. Gear the "events" to what your children enjoy.  Planning some structured events can help with boredom and the inevitable fighting that occurs with siblings with too much time on their hands.

3. Plan quiet time.  Give the assignment of one hour of quiet time to your kids with suggestions of how to spend it. Reading, coloring and playing in their room can provide a well needed break for you as a parent and if the child takes their quiet time as planned it can be rewarded by an "event" that they do with you.

4. Have a dance party.  Exercise, energy release  and fun. What could be better?  Even a fifteen minute dance party can liven the mood of a gloomy afternoon.

5. Near the end of the day, when everyone is getting tired, relax some of the old rules. Extra TV or computer time is OK on a day when everyone's nerves are a bit tight. Just try to save this for the end of the day so that you don't have to fight the kids to get them to participate in some of the more active events.

If you as the parent begin to feel out of control, be sure to take a break. Tell your spouse you need some time and take a nap. If you are alone with the kids, step out onto the porch so you can still see but not hear them and take 5 deep breaths. Remind yourself that this is temporary and it will pass.

Don't give up hope. Spring is around the corner even though we can't feel it. Most importantly know that you are not alone. If the Winter blues of 2014 don't stop when the snow stops, think about speaking to a therapist before it gets too bad.