We should be celebrating the wet weather - and part of me is - but as a mother of young children, I've discovered an extended period of rain leaves me climbing the walls!

Living in a country that embraces the outdoors, coming up with indoor activities can be a challenge.

Filling one day is easy. Board games, a DVD and baking bikkies are enough to occupy young minds without too much effort. It's when the day turns into a week that things get ugly. Fights break out, the house is a wreck, my nerves are frayed and still there's no sun.

I find myself wondering how people with young kids in the Northern Hemisphere survive those icy winters.

In a child's eyes, The Cat in the Hat had the perfect antidote to the boredom of a rainy day when he and his crazy creatures, Thing One and Thing Two, visited two young kids left home alone. The trio's wacky tricks created chaos in the household and I'm sure the havoc my children would wreak would put these two wayward characters to shame.

Given the age of my kids, however, I'm not leaving them home alone anytime soon! Instead, it's supervised activities and structure at our house.

I can hear a collective groan, but structure doesn't necessarily mean boring. It's about rethinking priorities and perhaps suspending the usual chores so I can spend time participating and instructing.

In order to survive any kind of forced hibernation, it's worth adjusting to a more leisurely pace. Keep it slow and calm - there's no need to hurry.

When there's nowhere to go, you'll be surprised at how relaxed you feel. Don't invite other kids over to play, except of course,
if you're one of these admirable people who doesn't mind living in chaos. But my feeling is that having other kids at home on a rainy day compounds existing problems.

Set up a card or games table. You have to be prepared to be a part of it, particularly with younger children, but it will engage and occupy little minds and you'll have fun too.

Recognise that it's not just your fuse that shrinks when cooped up all day. Children will poke, prod and annoy each other until you step in.

I find playing referee draining, so if things get out of hand, divide children into separate activities.

While I can slow my life down when the weather turns bad, it doesn't stop completely, which is why 'quiet time' is my little trump card. I believe it's not unreasonable for every child to spend some time throughout the day in their rooms playing or reading quietly.

If you have the time, money and motivation to venture outdoors, then there are plenty of places to go and see. If you prefer to keep it local, then visit the library. Borrow some books and CDs. A museum or aquarium is another wet weather option. Get active and visit the local pool - it's perfect for burning energy.

However if you prefer to stay closer to home, don't be shy to
grab an umbrella, raincoat and gumboots and head outside.

Even if it's just for a walk after a day stuck inside, the fresh air
and space will never feel so good!

For more great parenting advice from Antonia, check out the latest issue of New Idea - on sale now!