PLATTE CITY, Mo. — For a lot of kids, snow days are a highlight of the school year.
"My boys just look forward to being out in the snow. We have a 4-wheeler, so we get to pull them behind the 4-wheeler in the sled, and they get all wet, snowy and dirty, and they love it," said Johnna Wallingford, a parent in Platte City.
Before school closings are confirmed in Platte City, if you ask these parents, the plans are already in motion.
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"My kids love to go sledding, so they'll try to go outside if they can," said Angela Leininger, a parent of four, "It’s always fun if we can go somewhere with a big hill for them to go down."
Even with all the anticipation of being out of school, there are parents who face the challenge of figuring out childcare.
"I have four kids. Four different places, so a middle schooler, an elementary schooler, a preschooler, and a baby here," Leininger said. "It is a lot to think about, and my whole life is a constant logistic puzzle."
There are about 52 families at the Willow Woods Learning Center in Platte City who may or may not have childcare services on Tuesday if the winter storm continues.
"That's one of the hardest decisions I have to make," said Leslie Bales, director at Willow Woods Learning Center. "I know that if I close, it affects numerous people, and they have to have arrangements for their jobs."
Bales said they do what they can to open for families who need their services.
"If Im going to open up, I need to make sure I have enough people here, and I've had to go pick them up before and bring them to work because they're afraid to drive," she said.
Whether kids are home or at day care, a snow day will be a snow day.
"We bring the snow in for the little kids too. We bring them in tubs and strip 'em down to their little diapers and let them have fun," Bales said.
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