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My DCs walked the dog with me everyday from about 1 week old, regardless of the weather. They only stayed home if they were really ill. If you're dressed for the weather it's fine.
We would have all gone mad if we were indoors all the time. And would have been bored senseless. But we are a very outdoorsy family.
my mum's the same but she's not german!! she opens every window in the house to let in the fresh air. i think that's where i got my habit of taking ds out every from since he was a baby. it did help him sleep though.
I had DS1 in Germany where they think that not only toddlers should go out in the fresh air everyday but babies as well. My neighbours and in laws used to worry about DS1 because if it was freezing cold I wouldn't go out. Not just for his sake but for mine too - unused to such inhospitable whether as I was. I was talking to my neighbour and a friend of hers about it one day and the friend relayed a terrible story of how the Jugendamt (Dept of Community Services it would be called over here) knocked on her door one day as the neighbours complained to them that they never saw her walking her baby in the pram - the explanation this poor woman had to give was that she had been pregnant with twins but that they both died during delivery and then she was forced to produce their death certificates for this sad sod!
My German MIL opens every window of her house early every morning regardless of the temperature to let the fresh air in. On some days this is complete madness!
Re the OP, I would just have a friendly chat with the minder as she may not understand the consequences of not taking them out for you. Here in Sydney in crap weather I take my boys to one of those indoor play centres to burn off the energy - makes a nice change to the park on those rare days. This is not a cheap alternative though.
ha, i kknow someone with a 15 month old who always keeps her strapped into buggy, pushchair etc as she doesnt wantto run round afterher.
let the child move! after all we would never tie a five year old to a chair, so why a 15 month old?
in general yes unless ill or absolutely baltic weather (but hey thats my experience of scottish childhood) snow, rain, sleet, hail, dreich still went oot
maisemor i only said fear of making them ill with cold as we was not talking about noprmal british weather we were talking about nz wreathewr very strong windy= and rainy day as wind was coming off snowy mountains hensce the fact that 2 small children who are not your own you would be in twominds about taking them out incase they did get ill
and as i said if telling someone to take your child out then thats ok but for someone who does not know in that weather to take 2 small children out then you would be worried slightly different to our rain over here i would imagine i do take my ds out in rain to splash in puddles but i dont have strong wind and rain coming off snowy mountains to contend with otherwise i might think twice
but i think that it is ok as long as parent has said so but you could have a child that is prone to chest infection where strong wind and rain could play havoc with there chest then if parent hasnt said to take them out and you did then the parent could become up[set as now childs chest is playing up and ill my fear of making them ill comment i'm all for dc getting exercise
Am a bit aghast at being compared to Truby King though... not my favourite person.
Actually, that's another thing.... I do get them jumping around indoors too, but this seems to wind them up even more sometimes, whereas being outside calms them down. Maybe just my imagination.
Wow, lots of posts while I was asleep! Many thanks for the opinions.
OK, up to tellusmater's post I count:
YABU: 10
YANBU:22
... and some fence sitters
Based on that, I had a chat with our nanny, and said it was really important to me that they went out for a walk each day, and she was happy with that but said she didn't have a warm coat. I got out all the outdoor clothing - we have a poncetastic collection, it's total overkill for people who are unlikely to attempt a Himalyan summit anytime soon - anyway, got her and her little girl sorted out with coats and hats. They went out and all seemed to enjoy it.
A few people have mentioned the horrible wind in Wellington - we're outside the city and live in a deep, narrow river valley, so in fact it's quite still around the house even on very windy days. I have various walks and activities that we do when it's windy, keeping to sheltered places. It's not quite the same as in the city where you get blown sideways as soon as you step off the doorstep.
I know that extreme chilling can make people susceptible to colds, but I don't think we're running big risks in a climate that's basically milder than Somerset. It gets very cold at night but am not sending them out for walks in the small hours (tempting though it is sometimes).
Tellusmater I used to volunteer for the Common Cold Research Centre when I was a student and I can confirm that any results from there are nonsense, as all the volunteers are students faking their symptoms for the cash Afriend of mine put cayenne pepper in his eye to get the streaming eyes required for that week's tests. Can't think who advised him to try that stupid idea
The things I have done to 'cure' a cold include having a heat lamp pointed at my face, taking arthritis medication and oh yes, Lemsip was my personal favourite.
Dare I say it that these attitudes seem vaguely Victorian and/or Truby King-ish. Nobody needs to go outside - in some countries they just don't. DH grew up in teh kind of household where they always had a window open, I am the kind of wuss who firmly shuts all windows in October and leaves them there till May. I am generally healthier than DH! The main reason for fresh air is to occupy them in a physical way - a soft play place would do it as well, if not perhaps so pleasantly as a day on the beach. If the weather is truly grotty (and in Wellington it can be - can't think of much worse than going out when it is blowing a southerly and raining) then thinking of a lively fun game inside (easier to do in NZ where houses are larger) may be teh answer.
"chilled their feet in cold water for 20 minutes and" it is not quite the same as talking your children for a walk in the rain with appropriate wellies, rain-coats/hats/trousers, plus they are going to be walking/running not standing still in a puddle with no shoes on. .
But there has been research that showed that getting your nasal passages and throat chilly makes them less effective in dealing with inhaled bugs.
Hence it's not unreasonable to assume that excessive "chilling" of children by outdoor activities in inclement weather could lead to them catching a cold as a result.
You can wrap up warm but you're still breathing in cold air.
Personally I still think fresh air is a gift from the gods as far as ensuring children are tired at bedtime and sleep better.
"Recent research has demonstrated that chilling may cause the onset of common cold symptoms5. A study at the Common Cold Centre in Cardiff UK in 2005 took 90 students and chilled their feet in cold water for 20 minutes and showed that the chilled group had twice as many colds over the next 5 days as a control group of 90 students whose feet were not chilled. The authors propose that when colds are circulating in the community some persons carry the virus without symptoms and that chilling the feet causes a constriction of blood vessels in the nose and this inhibits the immune response and defences in the nose and allows the virus to replicate and cause cold symptoms. The chilled person believes they have caught a cold but in fact the virus was already present in the nose but not causing symptoms. "
Bubblagirl; "fear of making the child ill with cold"
xXxamyxXx; "maybe the person minding them was unsure if they should in case dcs caught a cold"
How is fresh air going to make the children ill???
Maybe I am wrong but I was taught that fresh air helps you stay healthy. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
Now I know that artic freezing conditions can kill you but do you live at the North Pole?
Do you think that by taking the children out I mean taking the children for walks on the highest mountains in winter time?
i think if you insist no matter what the weather that they go out then that would be ok but personally if i was looking after them and the weather was like that i wouldn't take them out its more fear of making the child ill with cold
but if you make it clear then no problem but you can do many excercising games in doors we dance we play chase and my ds still settles 6-7 for bed no problems
not everyone thinks the same in bad weather with 2 small children it makes more sence to stay warm in doors so you do have to tell whoever has them what you require and why but it seems weird it takes two walks otherwise they dont settle what activities do they do in the home my ds is always racing around
I would insist, as long as children and nanny all had good warm clothes and/or waterproofs as appropriate. It doesn't have to be for very long, just to blow the cobwebs away.
Take them out. Even a bit of rain won't do them any harm. If my boys 5 & 2 don't get outside daily we all get cabin fever. I have a good sized garden fortunately so we don't always have to go to the park. And if it's cold just put them in an extra layer.
personally in that sort of weather in Wellington I wouldn't go out - I'd go somewhere indoors or make them run up the stairs a few times. The wind is horrendous - people who haven't lived there don't know how bad! Combined with the rain it would have been very cold and grim. But it's your nanny and your kids so you have the right to ask.
"toddlers are just labradors with less fur" - I LOVE IT !
IMO everychild should spend some time outside each day, regardless of the weather. OK, perhaps not in a hurricane, but certainly in the snow, rain, wind etc.
Going outside doesn't have to be energetic, 'quieter' children can still potter about outside looking for creepycrawlies instead of racing around like a mad thing, but definately every child should have at least an hour of fresh air.
I don't think you are being unreasonable - so long as you've discussed it with the nanny and she's happy with it as well. I'm a hardy "it's only rain and you're not made of sugar" type myself and so are my children, but I don't think I'd expect my nanny to be the same unless you specifically said "must be at one with the great outdoors" in the advertisement.
Nope, not at all unreasonable. I always described my son as a labrador. Now that I have a labrador as well, it's hard to tell the difference. I never understood people (other parents) who would turn to me and say, after watching my son charge around for a hour or so: "Ooh, he'll sleep well tonight!. To which my only possible answer was: "I doubt it."
I think many people expect children to be a bit more like little adults than they really are. I often wonder how many cases of ADD & ADHD could be "cured" by (a lot) more exercise and a sensible diet.
I think you are right. I love "toddlers are just labradors with less fur". Sometimes I am a complete wimp when it is cold and wet and windy, but in theory you are right.
I think you are right. I love "toddlers are just labradors with less fur". Sometimes I am a complete wimp when it is cold and wet and windy, but in theory you are right.
nospeak your MIL is probably from the same era as my Mum we were out from dawn til dusk ( in for meals!) cos that meant the house was kept tidy...and also we were on our own most of the time ( this is the 1970's we are talking about when is 'wasn't as dangerous' apparently)it was a shock to system when she had DS1 for a few days and I told her she wasn't allowed to leave him outside!!!
anyway back on track my DD and DS2 go out every day cos they have to do the school run, standing around the playground type thing, but TBH I wouldn't take them out every day if I didn't have to, esp when it is sideways rain and gales..there are other ways of getting exercise indoors, however if they enjoy it then why not?
I think yes you are being unreasonable. Ds goes out nearly every day, there is probably about 2 days per month that he doesn't if it is really heavy raining or if we have been waiting in for a parcel or something. But I don't think it is totally essential.
I remember when it was ds's first winter there was one day that we didn't go out, I can't remember why and my MIL hit the roof and accused me of a being a bad mother, she went totally over the top and I just don't see where she was coming from. She still has this big thing where she goes on and on about how her children were never in the house from breakfast until tea time, ds probably spends about 1 hour a day actually being outside but when he is at home we cook and do crafts etc so I can't really see the big deal.
Yes, children need outdoor walks and play every day.
The only thing that would prevent me from taking my daughter out every day is illness or really extreme heat, or icy weather. But that's just a few days a year.
Fresh air is not going to give you a cold!!! Why would you think that?
Rain is not going to hurt you.
Why buy wellies, raincoats, rainhats, brullies [sp?], raintrousers if not to use them?
Both you and the children will only benefit from going on a daily walk, even when it is sunny, snowy, rainy, cloudy or foggy.
I do agree that if there is a tornado (or other extreme weather conditions) outside then you should seek appropriate shelter and not try to venture out no matter how annoying your children will get .
welliemum, the wheel thing is fab, my dc call it the hamster playground! Yes we're in Germany and lucky to be in a representative area (so lots of ministry buildings, government offices) and they make sure it looks good and stays clean too.
Am planning to make it to Wellie at some point soonish and will def let you know. Hepefully over a weekend with just DS, but maybr during the week if DH EVER finds out how much holiday he has and takes it
Ah, you see IMHO, it won't hurt them to stay in and do playdough, but it will hurt me.
But you've pinpointed my concern exactly: I'm happy to do this myself but not happy to insist that someone else does it. Hence this thread.
MrsJC, LOL about the hair in Wellington, I just can't wear my hair loose any more. Am thinking about getting a skinhead. (And a woolly hat).
[Hijack] If you're going to be in town and keen to do something, let me know. I mean, I know you'll be wanting to spend lots of time with your sister, but it would be great to meet up again.
I do not think you are being unreasonable in telling your nanny exactly what you expect her to do. You are paying the wages. And it's not a ludicrous request. You aren't expecting her to teach them to snorkel, or something.
I can't actually walk very far, and certainly not on my own with four under 7. They cope,
But if you know your kids, and you know that they need to go out, and you've said that, I'd just reinforce that's it's ok to do if the weather's a bit inclement, so in your situation, yanbu.
sent my sister something I found about 'don't have your hair cut into a bob in Wellington, you will never see where you're going again'. Oh, she moved into their new house at the weekend, on the hill in Roseneath. very nice
anyway, nothing could be worse than Christchurch's lovely spring weather yesterday. It was quite something....but we still went out when it had calmed down a bit
welliemum , there is a man size hamster wheel at our local play ground, it's great when the dc get on it and I can sit and say 'wow just show me again how you did that...' 'til I know they are nicely tired out and ready for calmness at home!
Having been brought up just north of wellington on the west coast I dont remember playing indoors much at all unless torrential rain/hail. Tell her to get a grip, get layered and get out
I don't think you're being unreasonable, is what I'm trying to say. if you didn't go in manky weather where you live, you wouldn't go out much for a lot of the year. That's what warm clothes are for
Yes, as much as I loathe it sometimes and would much rather laze around indoors watching the telly, toddlers definitely need to go out at least once a day for a romp. On a horrible weather day I'd alter that slightly to a drive to a soft play, or even indoor shopping centre, and then a play/lots of walking indoors. As long as they get out. Good for them and good for our sanity...
well mine needs to go out or at least run about A LOT every day. I am a great believer in getting layered up and getting out and about. also, as it's your nanny, I would insist on the daily walk unless the weather was truly awful. Which, lets face it, people are used to in Wellington, no?
BUT I wouldn't have made anyone go out in the hailstorms we had in ChCh yesterday. DD woke up in the night terrified of the storm, the weather was positively biblical!
Sort of complicated because I (and the dds) are very cold tolerant (all those scandiwegian genes) whereas I don't think our nanny is. But if she borrows lots of warm clothes from us would it then be reasonable to insist?
Unless it is hammering down or there is snow on the ground deeper than the height of the toddler, they should go out (assuming they aren't ill etc of course).
My DS has been coped up inside for 2 days without a walk and he is indeed bouncing off every surface in sight - I feel like crap mummy but in my defense I have the deathly cold of Death (temperature and everything) and don't even have the energy to walk around the block.
I tend not to take him out in very high winds because he hates it. We live on the coast and we get some howlers, and we are both v v miserable in that sort of weather. I just let him race around inside.
So a very long-winded way of saying yes, YABU a bit, but I understand both perspectives.
From a CM perspective I would happily tog up and take them out, however, my parents frequently send children in skirts with socks, little denim jackets, open toed sandals, no coats or waterproofs, no wellies etc. which would mean a whole change of clothes and drying off 3 toddlers.
Don't think it's something you should take for granted. Different people have different ideas and just because you think it's a given that they go out every day doesn't mean the childminder will.
maybe the person minding them was unsure if they should in case dcs caught a cold,i try to make sure my ds is brought out at least once a day for as long as possible for the fresh air otherwise he stands at the window crying and repeating day day day day!
When my 2 were 3 and 2 they went out twice a day whatever -rain, snow or sun. I don't know why but that was the routine and the more fresh air they had the better they slept.
This is really an open question, I promise to take it on the chin if people think IABU << welliemum trembles a bit >>
So, I have dd1 (just turned 3) and dd2 (15 months) and they are lovely but never sit still. If they don't go out for a walk - ideally 2 walks - they're literally climbing the walls at 5pm. And when I say 'literally" I do mean literally: eg standing on the window sill after traversing the North Face of the sideboard, working out how to traverse across to the glasses cabinet.
Yesterday (working day for me) it was very cold and windy and they didn't go out and then were just awful and didn't go to sleep until 9pm.
So, should the person who was looking after them have taken them out?
We're in NZ, it's spring, mostly too warm for frost now, but yesterday we had rain and strong wind, and it was very cold out because the wind was coming at us straight off some snowy mountains.
Read Dr. Tanya Byron's NEW report on Children and Television, her advice on how to provide a balanced TV diet for your children in the Freeview Viewtrition Guide and enter our competition to win a top of the range Freeview+ digital TV recorder, worth £229.95
- anyway, got her and her little girl sorted out with coats and hats. They went out and all seemed to enjoy it.
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