5 Reasons I’m So Over Winter

Jenni Fuchs - 23 Feb 17

I love Winter. I’m a cold weather person through and through. My unnecessarily large collection of knitwear and wooly hats will attest to that. And unlike most people I know, the prospect of months and months of subzero temperatures and the potential of snow does not fill me with dread. At least, that used to be the case. Because Winter and I…let’s just say we’ve had a bit of a falling out. And it’s all because of the kids!

5 Reasons I’m So Over Winter

Snow

I love snow. It’s so pretty. Winter Wonderland and all that. As someone without a car, who went almost everywhere on foot, I never had to worry about roads or traffic being affected. Then, a couple of weeks after our eldest was born, Edinburgh saw the heaviest snowfall in decades. I still didn’t have a car, but suddenly, snow became my enemy. Battling through a snowstorm to get to the doctors with an infant coughing its lungs out? Nightmare. Trying to push a pram through several inches of snow? Nightmare. Taking the kiddo out in a baby carrier instead, and trying not to fall over every slippery step of the way, with the added weight? Nightmare! Then we moved to Berlin. Another kid, another pram, more freakin’ snow to plough through. And finding myself in a city so big, it was no longer possible to go everywhere on foot, I suddenly realised how much snowfall impacts public transport. So I now have a love-hate relationship with snow. Because it still looks pretty.

Lack of Snow

Yes, I know, it sounds like I am contradicting myself. But as much grief as snow gives me, the lack of snow is equally disastrous when you have kids (sorry, Winter, you can’t win). As soon as the last Autumn leaves have fallen, and temperatures start to drop, expectations rise. Little people start asking you daily “Mummy, is it Winter yet?” “Yes.” “Where’s the snow?!” And so it goes, week after week, month after month. Every time there’s snow in the air, eyes full of hope and longing turn on you. “Mummy, can we go sledging?” Inevitably, the snow never settles. The sledge, dragged up from the basement, sits tauntingly on our doorstep. “Mummy, why is there no more snow?” No sledging. No snowmen. No snowball fights. Did I mention those big, sad eyes? I just can’t take the disappointment any longer!

Wind Chill Factor

Edinburgh receives plenty of wind. In fact, I have heard it referred to as ‘the windiest city this side of Chicago’. I’ve never been to Chicago, so I have no comparison. But Berlin can hold its own quite well too. It is here that I discovered the difference between -15 C on a wind still day, and -15 C wind chill factor. The former is cold, but you can wrap up warm against it and be none the worse off. The latter feels like being whipped in the face with a couple of deep frozen knives. Not that that has ever happened to me, but I imagine that is what it would feel like. Now throw a toddler or young child in to the mix. The boys were literally howling in pain as we stepped out the door.

Layers

Speaking of wrapping up…so many layers! Under garments, in between garments, over garments, outer garments. Times two children. Inevitably, as soon as you have everyone wrapped up, someone needs the toilet. All those layers have to come off again. Then on again. You need to plan in an extra half hour either end going anywhere, just to get all those layers on and off. Going in to a shop becomes a race for time – can you finish your shopping before your kids start to overheat? Alternatively, take off several layers. Then put them all on again once you’ve paid. Which will probably take longer than your actual shopping will. Don’t even mention going on a bus.

Bronchitis

And last but not least, my Winter nemesis: bronchitis! I’ve lost count of how many times my youngest has had bronchitis this Winter. High temperature, shallow breathing, delirious moaning. And all that coughing! As a mother, it’s torture to watch. He’s on two different inhalers. Last Winter was the same. I know that kids generally bring home all kinds of bugs and illnesses, all the time – chicken pox, scarlet fever and measles are just a few that have made the rounds in our nursery and school here in Berlin, though we’ve thankfully managed to dodge to bullet on those so far. But it is bronchitis that seems to have become our constant Winter companion. My eldest was the same. He didn’t get it as often, but he got it real bad. We’re talking blue lips and trouble breathing bad. We had quite a few mad emergency rushes to the doctor. He outgrew it by the time he was four, but if he is anything to go by, it means his little brother has at least two more years to suffer.

So I’m sorry to have to do this, after all this time, but Winter – we are officially over! Bring on Spring!

Jenni Fuchs

I'm a writer, photographer and mother to Oskar (11) and Alfred Fox (7). We live in Edinburgh, Scotland's beautiful capital. I write about our daily life as an expat family, bringing up bilingual children, and have unexpectedly found myself becoming an advocate for boys for who love pink!

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