Tips for surviving and enjoying our snow

As I type the snow is pelting down outside my window in Dublin.

It has been a while since the island, particularly Dublin, has experienced this much snow.
So here now are some tips to avoid the perils and enjoy the playful potential of snow.

PERILS

Walking

A good pair of slip-grip boots is your best bet for cutting through the slick slush. A fuzzy lining or double pair of socks will help keep your toes toasty warm.

Take smaller steps and be more aware of traffic. The stopping distance for all vehicles greatly increase in these conditions, more so for larger trucks, so think twice before you dash across the street.

Cycling

A good pair of tyres will keep your rubber on the road. Cover up all of your extremities so the biting wind will not bite your skin.

Be careful when going around corners and make sure you are illuminated as snow on windshields and darker conditions are added obstacles for drivers.

Driving

The car advice website Edmunds.com advises drivers to make the following adjustments when driving on snow and ice:

Slow down: Speed limit signs are intended for normal conditions. In snow and ice, reduce your speed considerably because your stopping distance is greatly increased, particularly if you are driving a large vehicle (or you are driving a small vehicle which would get caught under the chassis or wheels of the large vehicles around you).

If you slide, let it ride: Do NOT slam on your brakes if your car starts to slide. Edmunds says when the wheels are braking, their surface becomes static and they can behave like four hockey pucks on their side and can move multidirectionally. Always brake gently and gradually to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up ease off the brake. However if you were going too fast and started to slide in a certain direction, prepare for impact for there is little you can do.

Corner carefully: Taking a corner too quickly is a common way to skid. Apply the brakes as you approach a turn, but release them before you actually take the turn. As Glenn Frey used to say 'Take it easy.'

Look ahead: Double your stopping distance. An easy calculation for this distance is five car lengths for every 20kph you are traveling.

Steering Safely: Rough, imprecise movements of your steering wheel will cause your vehicle to become imbalanced, according to Edmunds. Once that happens, you'll probably skid.

Know your car: Find out if your car is front, rear or all wheel drive and how that affects its performance on snow and ice.

Skid control: Believe it or not, the best thing to do when your car is starting to skid, go against your natural tendencies. Turn INTO the skid and accelerate. However, how much you accelerate depends on the kind of car you have, so ring a local dealership for more information.

Eating

Do not eat yellow snow.

PLAY

Snowballs

Snowballs can be fun if done correctly and safely. To form a snowball, fill your hands up with snow, pack it into a ball and roll it around in your hands. Wet snow is the best for packing. Do NOT put foreign objects like rocks or glass as this is anti-social and might garner the attention of your local gardaí.

Sledding

Find a good hill or slope near you and slide down. Feet first is the safest. Head first should only be done by experienced sledders. Avoid areas with a lot of trees or obstacles as it is near impossible to steer a sled unless you have the kind on the right. If you do not have access to a proper sled, certain rubbish bin tops turned upside down and long, thick cardboard will do. Try and fashion some sort of handle so you do not slide off the sled while going down the hill.

Snow Angels

The most heavenly of all snow activities, snow angels are easy to make. They are best done with proper winter clothing as you will be rubbing against a large amount of snow.

1) Find a big, untouched patch of snow

2) Flop down backwards onto it with arms and legs outstretched

3) Move your arms up and down and legs sideways 5-10 times

4) Carefully get out of the angel so that you do not create too many footprints

For more on this process, check out this YouTube video





Snow Sculptures

Snowmen are the most common snow sculpture to make.

You will need a large tract of snow to produce one as well as a few household products.

1) Form a snowball and start rolling it around in the snow. Make it as big as you can and place it in the spot where you want to build your snowman

2) Roll two more balls of smaller size and stack them on top of your original snowball

3) Add hats, scarfs, ear muffs, carrots for the nose, coal or other appropriate items for the eyes

For other ideas for snow sculptures, check out the International Snow Sculpture Championships website.

Some content courtesy of RTE

Who's afraid of the big bad web?

The web as we lay people know it has been with us for over 10 years now and this is still the early days of it.

It is a medium we really need to get a grasp on, especially if we are parents as the web has changed the way that our children and teenagers communicate.

We teach our children how best to protect themselves in the big wide world and we are comfortable doing so as in many ways we are passing on the wisdom we learnt from our parents and the world is a place we are familiar with.

The web is another matter. Both computers and the web are mediums that have developed relatively recently (apologies to Charles Babbage) and to access the web one must get to grips with a computer. Both of these are stumbling blocks to many parents who watch as their children zoom away on the information superhighway leaving their parents stranded.

To properly guide and protect our children we need to start learning about computers and the web. When you lay down your guidelines and rules children will respect them as they know you have taken the time to learn and use both mediums.

Learning about computers and the web can seem daunting at first because of the new words and language that is used. Once started it is not long before it will all just fall into place and not only are you learning and enjoying new skills but also giving your self esteem a wonderful boost.

The web is a fantastic resource and one that is growing daily and here to stay. It is the biggest library in the world and the main means by which we communicate and this form of communication is changing at a rapid pace offering more and more facilities.

The horror stories are few and far between thankfully. What is far more insidious is the level of bullying that is carried on, or the thoughtless uploading of camera phone pictures, and messages left on social networking sites.

Our children have to be taught to think very carefully before they upload that funny photo of Mary Jane slipping on a night out and landing in the lap of the lads. While it may have been funny at the time, snapped with a camera phone, uploaded and available to all to see. Shown to those that were not there, it looks like something else and now Mary Jane may become the target of some unsavory jokes, rude messages which ultimately rob her of her self esteem and leave her feeling defenceless and violated. Once put up on the web, other people can copy and send on, so you are left with little control.

The best protection we can give our children is to learn about computers and the web and let our children see the safety net we provide them as they explore the wonders of the cyber world. Ask questions about what they use the web for, listen and look at the sites they go to. Read articles and slowly become familiar with the jargon. You are not wasting time by sitting at a computer for a couple of hours surfing the net and looking at different sites, this is your learning curve and one worth taking when it allows us to talk confidently to our children about the pros and cons of the world wide web.

There is a terrific article well worth reading entitled 'who's afraid of the big bad web'. This article was published on the Australian newspaper site The Age. What makes this article different is that the author gives a run down on the most common sites used by children and teenagers today. A must for any parent!

"Kids are fearless and many parents are clueless when it comes to the internet."

But instead of being daunted, Ms Treyvaud says parents should draw on their wisdom and experience. "Rather than taking a gloom and doom approach to the internet, ask yourself, 'What can I do to help my children navigate it?'."

Go on, take the plunge, it is a world full of wonders and delight.

Useful links:

Webwise - information for parents and teachers

Mobile phones and safety - Advice on mobile phone bullying from Childline.

Take a course in your local library or night class from a number of providers all listed on Courses.ie