By Deborah Holmen, M.Ed., NBCT
Dear Parents,
My dear ones, it’s me, Mother Nature, inviting you to snuggle up with the gentle wisdom my winter brings. This time of year isn’t just about the trees falling asleep and the animals curling up in their cozy dens—it’s a wonderful chance for you and your little ones to slow down. Just like I wrap my world in a soft blanket of snow, I hope you’ll take a moment to turn inward, cherish the stillness, and grow together in love and warmth. Remember, these quiet days are as important as the bright ones, holding the promise of new life ahead.
Though I have existed for eons before your arrival, my dear ones, my heart longs for every young mind to unfold, revealing its true essence and finding its cherished place within the grand tapestry of my world. Allow my seasons to inspire you as you guide your children to reconnect with my timeless wisdom and the wondrous world surrounding them.
Take the hand of your little ones and traverse my winter months together. This is a precious moment, a unique opportunity for you to nurture in them a profound bond with me, Mother Nature, and the rhythm of my cycles.
Too often, I witness your dear children captivated by flickering screens, video games, and other artificial distractions. I yearn for them to rediscover the pure joy of embracing my natural rhythms and the blessings they hold.
Start by igniting your children’s joy of discovery. Encourage them to observe the changes in the world around them. Take walks together and point out how the landscape transforms with the seasons. Ask them what they notice about my trees, sky, and animals. This will cultivate a sense of wonder and connection with my natural world, sparking their curiosity and engagement.
Create cozy spaces at home that mimic the den-like qualities animals seek in winter. Encourage your children to build blanket forts or create reading nooks where they can retreat for quiet reflection. Explain how this mirrors how my animals hibernate and conserve energy during the cold months. I know you all remember making forts in your childhood, so relish in the fond memories and joys of pretend.
Introduce the concept of ‘hibernating’ — a time for rest, reflection, and renewal. Many of my animals and plants go into this time of rest, and so must you. Help your children understand that having periods of lower energy and inward focus is okay, even necessary. This can help them recharge, process their experiences, and develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. Inspire them to keep a winter journal where they can write or draw about their feelings, dreams, and observations.
Engage in winter-specific activities that connect them with my natural rhythms. This could include starting seeds indoors, making bird feeders to help wildlife through the lean months, or creating nature mandalas with items collected on winter walks.
Use the earlier evenings as an opportunity for family storytelling time. Share family histories, read nature-based stories, or encourage your children to create their own tales inspired by the season. This nurtures creativity and strengthens family bonds, evoking a sense of connection and nostalgia for the shared past and the promise of the future.
Teach your children about the winter solstice and how various cultures have celebrated the return of light. Create a simple ritual to mark this turning point in the year by lighting candles and sharing hopes for the coming months.
Urge outdoor play, emphasizing the unique joys of winter — sledding, building snowmen, or simply lying in the snow to make angels. (Deborah’s favorite was to play Fox and Hound in snow mazes with her students.) Help them see that each season offers its own form of fun and beauty.
Introduce mindfulness practices suitable for children, such as “snowflake breathing,” where they imagine catching and melting a snowflake with each breath. This helps them develop tools for calm and centeredness.
Finally, involve your children in setting family intentions for the coming year. How can you grow together? What new experiences do you want to share? How can you better care for the natural world around you? This exercise instills a sense of purpose and forward-thinking in your children, guiding them to appreciate the value of setting and working towards meaningful goals.
Guiding your children through winter with intention and reverence for my nature, you’re not just helping them appreciate my seasons — you’re instilling values of patience, introspection, and connection that will serve them throughout their lives. You’re teaching them to find richness and meaning beyond material possessions and to see themselves as part of the grand tapestry of the natural world.
Find me this winter and my quiet wisdom. I’ll be watching for you!
Your loving Mother,
Mother Nature
…
Deborah Holmen, American author and veteran educator, shares her inspirational memoir and guide, “It Takes a Lot of Sh*t to Grow Beautiful Flowers: A Gardener’s Guide to Life,” available now.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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