It is pretty safe to say anyone under the age of 17 or so has been very happy this week after their winter break has stretched well into January.

School has been closed several days already this year because of frigid temperatures and a couple of nasty snow storms that have left parts of our county difficult to travel through.

Since August, the district has had seven snow days, and as of press time, students had been out of school for a week (including the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday).

All the Little Johnnies and Janes couldn’t be happier about this, but it certainly creates some challenges for mom and dad when it comes to work schedules, child care and getting in a regular routine.

The fact some of the days have had less severe weather than originally expected only adds to the frustration.

The important thing to remember here is safety comes first. And it is far better to err on the side of caution.

Icy roads increase the chances for cars or school buses to be involved in accidents. Subzero wind chills create health hazards for students waiting for the bus or walking to school.

Clark County Public Schools administrators certainly don’t take the decision to cancel school lightly and truly want students in the classroom.

The district’s schedule gets just as out of alignment as a family’s does.

Mother Nature will ease up soon and everything will get back to normal. Until then, let’s all make the most of it and let the fact our school administrators care for our children more than they do staying on schedule warm us up on these cold winter days.