After three days at home, pretty much alone with two bouncing boys as The Builder attended to business in The Big Smoke, I can honestly say that Cabin Fever is a very real condition. In fact, Mr7 has developed a raging temperature just to add to my joy.
But it is Mr4 who is most affected by the weather. Mr Perpetual Motion goes completely insane when stuck inside for any length of time, let alone for several days. He is literally bouncing off the walls. And the sofa. And the bed. And, once when I wasn't watching, the dining table. If there is something to be leapt upon, jumped off or attacked with the pair of socks he is currently wearing tucked into his pyjamas to represent nunchucks, he will find it.
After three days, I am ready to find the nearest happy, quiet, peaceful place and crawl into it. And I'm certain that preschool teachers around the state are at home preparing themselves for the week of rainy days ahead. Imagine being confined to a classroom with 20 or so Mr4s. Shudder. I take my hat off to them.
[image: cute art print from leearthaus/etsy]
I know the feeling. My kids don't really do "still." Unless they are asleep - and it always seems a long time 'til bedtime on a rainy afternoon.
ReplyDeletePoor you. Who knew timber could be so bouncy?
ReplyDeleteI think pre-school teachers should be paid danger money for their efforts. I did kinder duty last week and was amazed at how the teacher kept 21 4 year olds preoccupied while it hailed outside.
OMG, yes! And my boys only came back to my place earlier today, but bounce and hop and karate chop and kick they did around my very tiny, extreme sound carrying, thank-god-its-on-the-ground-floor flat! But work and school tomorrow, so their vibrancy will be the joy of others for the main part of the day soon ;)
ReplyDeleteIf we all keep our fingers crossed for dry weather do you reckon the weather gods will take pity upon us?
Absolutely relating here.
ReplyDeleteLast week, all but Tuesday I had kids home sick, so we didn't go anywhere (except the 4yo's sports class for an hour on Wed - the big boys both home seemed ok for that). Then the rain this weekend and oh boy....my kids were going NUTS!
Hubby took them all to the local indoor pool today because they had seriously started to lose it - running around screaming and carrying on. It helped so much. THey came home calm and happy.
Phew. It's my 'day off' tomorrow (well, today!) with the 4yo in daycare. I am SO ready for that.
A typical English Summer here over the last week or so. Lashing rain, high wind and even hail for gods sake! Luckily mine are a little older and distracted with games consoles, DVDs ect and even the occasional bit of homework but I remember their younger days well. I feel for you!
ReplyDeleteOh dear lord! I had a conversation with one of Mr3's preschool teachers last week about this very topic. I expressed my sincere empathy at just what they had to deal with, as I picked my bounding boy up from the crowd of little people... also bounding around at 100 miles an hour... those teachers would have to have a good stiff drink at the end of each day I am guessing ;o) I feel your pain with the cabin fever and we also have some literal fever to contend with here too! Here's hoping the sunshine breaks through at some stage this week xo
ReplyDeleteHave they already finished the 'rainy day box'- a secret stash that Mom keeps hidden , and only appears on rainy days ?
ReplyDelete- or you could lay out a tournament that ends with the rain. List of activities Quiet and active on a chart ...purpose - to accomplish as many activities off the chart before the rain stops -ativities will have different values ( reading a book is worth 10 points- more than anything else on the list )
At the end of rainy days , an award ceremony complete with prizes and cake .
Worked for me !
I have to say it sounds like my 2 boys but I think I must be cruel as I stick them in their wellies and rain coats and we go out jumping in puddles and for walks, I couldnt cope if I didnt get them out. neither of them complain to be honest and seem to quite enjoy it but then we have always done it. Both have recently got an umbrella so a walk in the rain to get milk is a real treat still and quite an exciting prospect!
ReplyDeleteme and my bros loved pretending to be ninja warriors when we were younger.
ReplyDeletesoo much energy is wasted on the youth. I watched my niece just run in circles.....what? I have to pep talk myself to get up and get another beer out the fridge.
Well I have to say, the only time in my life when I've cursed rainy weather was when I was a teacher of kindergarten/year 1 kidlets!!! Not fun!!!
ReplyDeleteBut otherwise, I LOVE the rain!!!! I hope you get some outdoor time soon, Allison.xx
We have not had rain, but cold. So energy levels are all being expended outside.
ReplyDeleteBUT, whilst I know not all are a fan of screens and techological stuff, I have found the Wii bloody marvellous for releasing that boy energy. on games and sport when the weather prevents the real deal.
For both boys and men...
I refuse to have any sympathy for the people who taught my son that the kookaburra was 'jumping up and down with his pants on fire'.
ReplyDeleteServes them right, I say.
And, mark this day in your diary, the solution to this problem is NOT having more children. Trust me.
I would look to the weather forecast at the start of each week with butterflies in my stomach when I was completing my Teaching Prac. The only thing worse than being a teacher stuck indoors with twenty four year olds is being a student teacher stuck indoors with twenty four year olds. Truly terrifying. Hope the sun comes out for you today!
ReplyDeleteWell, you have all completely shattered my clutched-onto-belief that once the small boy (now 14 months) is old enough to talk/understand then simply explaining why we can't go outside in wind and pouring rain would do the trick. And here I am living in one of the driest cities in the world, what do mothers in places with constantly bad weather do???
ReplyDeleteWe have been very lucky down here in Vic for the long weekend. Beautiful weather. Glorious sunshine, still blue skies. Just delightful for ... ahem... winter!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you though, kindy and school teachers deserve medals! I have done my share of kindy helping and always come home with a headache and that's only 2 hours! LOL
That's when you hang pics of all sorts of animals around the house and then take a "trip" to the zoo. Make popcorn and talk about all of the animal sounds, act like the monkeys, take close-up pics of your pictures on the wall so it really looks like you saw that animal, etc. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteUgh, we have had doses of cabin fever here as well! And I too feel for the poor daycare staff, stuck inside with a far larger brood of hyper kids hungry for the outside...
ReplyDelete