F is For February-Facing The Winter Blues

Whether you're a homeschool mom or not, I am here to tell you that you're not alone if you have felt like quitting all the things of life during the month of February! Flustered, fatigued, failure, and finished. These are just a few of the emotions/states I've found myself wrestling with the last couple Februaries. But why? Why is this happening?! Realizing you're fighting the winter blues is the first step. Here are some eye opening revelations that some friends have helped me to realize.

Winter Won't Die

If you live in a place with an actual winter like myself, you know just how magical it can be--until it's not. By the month of February we've experienced the heart warming snowy holidays, sledding, snow fort building, and snow ice cream, and all the gems this season brings. It feels like winter should be winding down, but February around here has been cold, gloomy, and grey. And instead of warming up and giving us a hint of spring it's like winter kicked it into high gear! For a few weeks this February in particular we felt like we were trapped in the midwest cause there was no sun and the cold was so bitter! I remember being in college in Missouri and experiencing that "face-biting cold" for the first time! It's something you don't forget!

This past month I had several moments of feeling unmotivated, apathetic, and even fatigued--for no good reason! I didn't realize that the lack of sun and harsh winter conditions were truly effecting me with some seasonal depression. I'm a Colorado girl who is used to some cold days, but ALWAYS around the sun. We are the secret sunshine state with over 300 days of sun every year! So, when I was chatting with friends (and let's be honest, mostly whining about winter again) some of them mentioned having the same experience--feeling done with winter and then pointing out the slight seasonal depression. I was so thankful to hear that I wasn't the only one feeling crazy! I hadn't really connected my "lowness" with the weather until friends mentioned it. Thank God for friendships where you can truly share where you're at!

So, if you've been feeling all the "ugh" emotions and fatigue of February, know that you're not alone! It's normal to have seasons where we slow down, rest, and rejuvenate. And it's normal to have short seasons of feeling unmotivated and fatigued. But we can't stay there. We must choose to keep doing the next right thing even when we'd rather crawl into bed, ignore all the life and responsibilities surrounding us, and scroll ridiculous facebook videos for hours. So bundle up, get some fresh air, move your body, sing a song of praise, and do whatever it takes to stir up some laughter inside your home!

February is the FALSE SUMMIT of Homeschool, Which Leads to More Winter Blues

Last year I remember telling a friend that I just felt 'done' with homeschool for the year, and it was only February! I felt like something was severely wrong with me and I hated to even admit to my walking buddy that I was having those strong emotions! She didn't even flinch and casually said, "oh that's so normal, February is so weird and hard!" Wait, what?! How did I not know this!?! I felt as if she had just handed me a precious gift-a secret homeschool mama gift.

After that conversation I have had multiple other conversations with friends that confirmed the same truth--that February is hard in homeschool and can almost be seen as a false summit. As we talked about above, winter is usually not done by this time even though WE ARE DONE with winter! So add that to a household that is done with their routine of homeschool and ready for transition and you can start to be feeling pretty burned out. We had the great break of the holidays. We got started again in January with a little more energy, but then fizzled out as February seemed to drag on. Everyone's ready for more sun and outdoor play. Our home is ready for a new routine and tired of endless groundhog days of homeschool---news, devo, history, reading, writing, math...repeat. Here is where it's hard to step up and lead as a mom cause you're right there with them--ready to be done! But, we don't have the option of quitting if we want to be faithful with the task that God has called us to. So it's time to "toughen up, cupcake" as my husband would say. Here's some ways that I've tried to toughen up and press on:

Change up the routine.

Add more movement--things that are living aren't stagnant!

Season the day with laughter--whatever it takes (youtube videos, made up rap dances by mom, etc)

Put the music on loud and dance.

Get out of the house! Whatever it takes!

Got to PetCo for a 15 minute look at all the fun fishies.

Eat ice cream.

Have a movie day.

Have a pajama WEEK.

Do more crafts, as messy as possible.

FaceTime friends and family.

Skate and scooter inside (if you've got old hardwoods like us that are already "lived in")

Grab some audiobooks from the library and listen as a family while doing art or quiet play.

Rearrange a room.

Clean/declutter a room to freshen things up.

Shovel snow inside to the bathtub and play with it there!

Play volleyball with balloons and flyswatters/spatulas.

Bake, bake, bake and then take, take, take to neighbors! (so you don't eat all the goodies yourself)

Go swimming or play basketball at the rec center.

Do a kid workout on YouTube (they have hilarious ones where you run in place cause you're getting chased by dinosaurs on the screen, etc)

Make a redneck hot tub outside using a plastic tub and fill with warm water (our kids loved this during last year's blizzard)

Fill squirt guns with food coloring and water and go "spray paint" the snow outside!

Eat a picnic lunch in the family room.

Have a candlelight dinner and dress up for it!

Conclusion

There are several creative ideas for indoor winter fun online, but hopefully this list sparks a few ideas to try in your own home! Basically, it's time to liven things up and fight against those winter blues! Even people that LOVE their jobs have days of mundaneness and apathy. We're all human. It's okay to feel "done" and want change. Ask God to give you strength and creative ideas to lead fun change in your home. Lord knows we need His supernatural strength to keep leading others when we, ourselves, are feeling low. You might not feel great immediately, but keep trying new activities until you start to feel those clouds on your shoulders rise up. Heck, if you don't know what to do or your kids can't agree on an option, write down several things in a bowl and draw out what the next activity is! Kids love a good mystery and will be excited to keep working through the bowl until their desired activity is picked. F is February. Fun, family, fresh, and faithful--these are the new words I want to embody this February. It may take some work, but we can turn each day into one filled with joy if we keep our focus on being faithful and fun with what God has called us to do!