BIXBY, Okla. — For the fourth consecutive day, Green Country families were stuck at home as winter weather forced school closures across the region, leaving parents juggling work responsibilities while keeping restless children occupied.
"So is it safe to say you're ready to get the kids out of the house?" 2 News asked one parent.
"Uhhh. Yes!" came the immediate response.
Parents and kids alike are getting stir crazy with the extended winter break that has kept most districts closed all week, creating challenges for working families trying to balance professional obligations with unexpected childcare needs.
In Bixby, the Spartans joined most districts in staying out of school for the first four days of the week. Shana Henthorn and her husband own Spartan Nutrition while managing four Bixby students at home.
"Just trying to navigate being here for our customers, not upsetting anybody here," Henthorn said. "And then back and forth with the kids at home. Keeping up at home."
It's a juggling act that the family hopes ends soon.
"We are ready for sunshine. Ready for school to start back. Ready for kids being able to get back into sports, moving their bodies. Socializing," Henthorn said.
The Morris family is also making the best of the situation. Allison Morris, mother of two Spartans and the district's counseling coordinator, described the week at home.
"We've had days of togetherness. And so I think every parent across the metro would say let's get them back in school as quickly and as safely as possible," Morris said.
Her children have stayed busy during the unexpected break. Eleven-year-old Peyton and 13-year-old Will have been running a snow-blowing business, clearing more than a dozen driveways in their neighborhood.
"It's really fun because I get to do it with my brother and my dad. And we make a good amount of money," Peyton said.
"It was probably our most successful year of it. Last year, we didn't do much because we didn't get much snow. But this year was a really good year," Will added.
These families are making the most of what could easily become a slippery slope to boredom.
"It has been so important for them to stay connected to their schoolwork, to their teachers, keeping them busy. And it does encourage a little extra reading and work along the way," Morris said.
Bixby, along with a number of other districts, plans to return to school on Friday, January 30.
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