My family and I head up to the mountains every winter for a trip, but we’ve been doing it ever since I was a small child.
- As an adult with our own kids now, it is still my preferred family tradition that I look forward to every year! One of my favorite memories as a kid was having a fantastic snow afternoon because I knew that would mean marshmallows and hot chocolate in front of the fireplace that night.
I wasn’t a big fan of the fire pit outside since it was so cold, but being in front of the fireplace cuddled with my mom and looking at snowfall outside always felt love magic, now that I have my own kids with me, I often worry about the safety precautions for the fireplace at our home, but fireplaces are often open and I have a feeling that my toddler is going to be mesmerized and want to run straight towards the fire. My mom thinks I am being dramatic because I never did that when I was their age, but I’ve read blogs with horror stories about fireplaces and small children. I’ve been showing our kids pictures of fireplaces and creating positive but safe associations with them so they understand that while the fireplace is fantastic to look at and experience, it is not something we go near and touch. I absolutely feel overprotective of our children occasionally and I’m absolutely trying to let that go, but it’s hard when the world is becoming so wild and unpredictable every year. All I want to do is shelter them.