Schools Closed Due to Snow!

Snow Days…As I’m sitting here looking out my window as the first snowflakes of the season are starting to fall, I’m reminded of some of those beautiful snow storms that have taken place over the years since I’ve been a single parent.  And the stress that those snow storms or threat of a snow storm would bring on.

‘Snow Days’ as the kids and schools call them.

The dreaded announcement:

                 ‘Schools are closed due to snow’

or

                ‘Schools are delayed 90 minutes’

No school?

My boys’ reaction: ‘Yeah! No school!’

As a single, full time working mom: ‘Help! What am I going to do? I need to get to work!’ 

Panic and dread.  The daycare is closed.  The nanny can’t make it. No babysitter is available. I can’t work from home.  As a result, on some days the only solution that I could come up with was calling a visiting nurse company, saying that I had a sick child and hope that a nurse would be available. While on other days, well I’d just have to take a sick day or a vacation day.

And then there was the other dreaded announcement:

                ‘Schools are closing early due to the pending storm.’

Now what? Back in the day when we were living in Ridgefield and I worked in Stamford, that took some doing. I had to drive back to Ridgefield to pick them up before either the daycare closed, the after school drop off closed or just get back to the house in time for the bus to drop them off. My only choice was to leave work early and hope that I could finish some of my work at home.

Through all those years I tried to find the secret to dealing with hearing those dreaded words. I’m still looking for it and as the years progressed, and the boys got older, it was easier. The upside – they learned to be responsible and self-sufficient.

To all the working parents, it’s not easy.  Breadth and teach the children how to shovel.  Then snuggle up and have some hot chocolate. You might want to add a little something in yours🙂

Sylvia Beckerman, Founder Après Divorce