Boxed in No More
Sure cures for cabin fever
Words Lean Karl Panganiban
Photography Ron Mendoza
Cabin Fever is the c l a u s t r o p h o b i c reaction kids get from being
shut inside a closed space with nothing to do. When experienced over an extended
period of time, the usual symptoms of boredom, restlessness and irritability
can worsen into sluggishness and inactivity, weight gain, social withdrawal
and excessive sleeping. Children growing up in condo developments are particularly
vulnerable to cabin fever, especially during weather extremes, when excessive
heat or a long rainy season prevents them from playing outdoors. However,
just because the weather outside is dreadful doesn’t mean you can’t make
your kid’s forced stay indoors delightful. Here are some easy ways to prevent
cabin fever, without having to resort to the idiot box:
Old Fashioned Fun
Play bahay-bahayan. Pile cushions on the rug or floor and tie bed
sheets over the space to make a tent. Have a picnic under the blanket tent!
Tell stories over cups of cocoa if the weather is cold, or something cool
and refreshing if the season’s hot. Empty appliance boxes big enough for
your child to play in our great make-believe houses too—just punch holes
for doors and windows, of course. Have an indoor scavenger hunt. Play hide
and seek. Play dress up with your daughter and fish for stories about her
crushes! Next time you visit the supermarket, buy plastic balloon and inflatable
balloons. Learn first then teach your kids how to make different animal shapes
using long, sausage-shaped balloons. Play sungka, jackstones or
Chinese jackstones. If you have enough space for it, play indoor hopscotch.
Get your kids involved in house chores
Emily Sy of Global Art Philippines says that children who ordinarily
don’t care to do household chores may be willing to help out now that they
have nothing better to do. Bake brownies or cookies, letting them cut out
fun shapes out of cookie dough and decorate them. Doing the laundry while
engaging in a bubble fight with your kids.
For more of CONDO TIPS, grab CONDO LIVING, Volume 5, No. 2,
2010.
