Forget Christmas and Chanukah. The day in December that I get most excited about is the Winter Solstice.
That’s not because I’m Pagan, though that would be an interesting thing to tell my parents.
It’s because the winter solstice, which this year fell on this past Sunday, Dec. 21, is the shortest day of the year, meaning that every day afterward will see more and more daylight hours until late June.
Before I had children, I didn’t mind the darker days of late fall and winter. After all, longer nights meant more time to party! And by “party,” I, of course, mean eat cold cuts straight from the deli bag while binge watching Netflix till the wee hours of the morning. Talk about some wild nights!
Today, I have a whole new appreciation for the daytime because the more hours of daylight we get, the easier things are from a parenting perspective. Allow me to count the ways:
Daycare pickups are a little less challenging
Picking my children up from daycare at night is challenging enough in itself since my two little, ahem, angels aren’t always amenable to being bundled into their coats and then strapped into their car seats without desperate pleas and juice box bribes. But it’s that much worse when it’s pitch black long before 6 p.m. and I’m clutching their little hands while crossing the street, quietly lambasting myself for not super-gluing bright yellow reflectors onto their coats.
It provides more natural entertainment
More daylight means more opportunities to play outside, especially after dinner. We might go to a nearby playground, hang out with the neighbors, or just collect acorns near the house. My younger one, especially, is fond of the “I’m going to try to run into the street and Mommy will have seven small heart attacks while stopping me” game. That still beats playing a seventh game of Chutes and Ladders and praying that one of the chutes delivers you to the doorstep of your babysitter’s house.
There are significant health benefits
It’s well known that more outdoor time leads to more exercise and the chance to absorb more Vitamin D. In recent years, scientists have found yet another reason why we should be pushing out kids outdoors: studies have found that children who spend more time outside have lower rates of myopia.
It puts Mommy in a better mood
I don’t suffer from seasonal affective disorder but I have noticed that I perk up considerably when I see the sun shining outside my window. Who doesn’t? The moon just doesn’t have the same effect unless, I suppose, you’re a werewolf (and I shave diligently to ensure no one confuses me for that!) When I’m happier, I’m better equipped to handle the hiccups of life with children — spilt milk, lost shoes, broken lamps, disemboweled toy Elmos, etc. — without ripping my hair out in the process.
The longer days won’t be noticeable immediately, but I’ll be savoring every extra minute of light, knowing that the next day will be even better.
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