Before I had children, I worked as a therapist in a nursing home which was about a 45 minute drive from my house.  I drove in it all:  snow, sleet, and freezing rain!

Then I had children.

I remember the first time I ever skidded on ice with my children in the van.  I was driving on our country road and slid on “black ice“.  I had skidded and slid around before, but my children were in the car and that was terrifying to me because I realized exactly how much was at stake.

Now, we’ve moved south, and we rarely get even a snow shower.  We occasionally get ice, but most everything closes down when that happens.

If you have to drive in the wintry weather with your baby, be safe and don’t take chances.  If you can delay your drive, do so.  Perhaps you can go into work late once the roads are better cleared.  Perhaps you can work at home that day.

If you have to go out, make sure to carry extra blankets and a shovel.  Leave earlier than usual so you can take extra time to get safely to your destination.  If you are able to do so, you can alter your route to avoid the less traveled roads which may not be so well cleared from snow and ice.

If you get stuck, many times, you can dig yourself out of the snow.  The extra blankets can help to keep your children warm while you are digging.  Kitty litter can be used for extra traction and can help you if you get stuck in the snow or ice.  Studded tires, if they are legal in your area, are a big help when you have to drive in winter weather.

Hopefully, you won’t ever need to use any of these tips!  I wish everyone a safe winter driving season!

It snowed in the South this weekend!

I know. I know. Those of you who live in the North are yawning right now. Snow down here is such a rarity, that the event is viewed as a wondrous thing met with much rejoicing. Being as I am a Northern transplant myself, I find the whole thing hysterical. Not so hysterical is the incredible amount of traffic accidents that happen during such wondrous events.

My older children fondly remember playing in snowfalls that were larger than themselves, having snowball fights, sledding, and making snow angels with the dog. In fact, the snowfall issue is the only reason they cite when asked if they miss living where we used to live. Winter doesn’t stay around long down here. When our baby arrived in early March of last year, his arrival was accompanied by 80 degree temperatures. His older siblings mourned the fact that he would never play in the snow. How sad.

I have to admit I did not mourn at all, nor did I see the fact that he would miss out on experiencing a significant snow storm as a great drawback either. I suppose I shoveled way too much snow in my lifetime and that leaves me very jaded. This weekend, when everyone was preparing and getting excited about the snow, I was contemplating a move farther south.

Then it happened! It snowed! Well, the Southern version of snow anyway. We bundled up our infant son and took him outside to watch the flakes fall and to show him how to catch the crystals on his tongue. Amidst the giggles and laughter and squeals of delight, my dreams of moving farther south were soon forgotten.

By that afternoon, what little snow had accumulated had vanished and my son’s first snowfall was just another memory which I recorded in his baby book. Now that’s the kind of snow I like!