March 6, 1997
If you're a parent and have been living amid the Minnesota snow dunes this winter, you may have found yourself at wits end with the kids at home because of all the canceled school days. Unfortunately, the aftereffects of this harsh winter may breed even more emotional stress in the months to come, says Ron Pitzer, family sociologist with the University of Minnesota's Extension Service.
All those missed school days will have to be made up this summer. This could create an atmosphere of stretched nerves for the ones who are still smarting from winter cabin fever. "Everybody's being inconvenienced," says Pitzer, "so everyone needs to remember that others are affected."
Yes, you weren't the only one afflicted with cabin fever. Your kids are also susceptible to the pressures of being stuck at home day after day. However, where adults will often sink into depression, kids might instead become obnoxious, disobedient, or aggressive. Pitzer says that parents may simply miss the connection.
On top of that, you may not have been happy about having your children out of school for so many winter days. But the kids weren't necessarily happy either. Once the excitement of being excused from school was past, the reality of an extended school year set in for them as well. "They may not have been in school for quite a while," says Pitzer, "but it was still hanging over their heads."
Ironically, as the makeup days eat away into students' summer vacation, some parents may later complain and undermine the importance of school. This will be especially true if they count on their kids' help around the house or farm when school is out. Pitzer stresses the need to understand that school is for children an important full-time job that has merely been delayed. "Demeaning its importance could harm their kids' own self-esteem, performance and commitment at school," says Pitzer.
Come June, it will have been a long time since the start of the school year. This unusual length could adversely affect students' motivation toward schoolwork. They will also be unhappy about missing out on their summer fun or summer jobs. Pitzer points out that the cabin fever from this January could well linger all the way to June unless steps are taken to allay the stress.
Pitzer suggests that you'll do yourself a big favor by first admitting the toll which cabin fever may have had on you and your family. Try to reframe your negative feelings by at least acknowledging your lack of control over this situation. Then, if possible, take it one step further and look for something positive from the experience. Forcing a temporary break from your mental or physical surroundings will help steer you back onto a healthy course.
One sure way to boost your spirits, Pitzer adds, is to keep up with some form of physical exercise. This is especially helpful in venting built-up stress when you have been held inside for long periods.
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Source: Ron Pitzer, (612) 625-8169
Writer: John Winzenburg, EDS, (612) 625-6243, news@extension.umn.edu
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