To not spend time doing outdoor activities with DC's in Winter?

[Wizardora]

I really hate the cold weather and spend most of Winter doing indoor things... Our 3 DC's (1, 3 and 6) are happy to play in the house and don't seem to get bored but I can't help but feel I should be doing outdoorsy things with them a bit more at the weekends, aibu not to??

I think the difficulty with us is teh fact our youngest is only one, so it needs to be worked around nappy changes and sleeps and he definitely doesn't enjoy being cold, his face goes bright red and gets sore.

During the week obviously they are out and about quite a bit and go swimming and to a couple of clubs as well as toddling down to the shops which we do every day unless it's bitter and icy. Sunday's we just tend to hibernate though and have family over, I feel a bit of a rubbish mum for not going on bike rides and country walks... Argghh am I over thinking this?!

There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing.

Sorry couldn't resist.

I'm usually quite evangelical about fresh air, but today it is just raw and there's nothing pleasant about it, it's just endurance, we're snuggled up inside.

My mum used to make me go outside every day as a child, usually for an hour or so, when I wanted to stay in and read my books. This did not set me up for loving the outdoors or liking exercise, I disliked both then and I still do.

I think one slobby day in a week is ok, more than that and I think it's a bit stifling/you need to get out.

Nowt wrong with endurance. A friend of ds's had one of these snoods, thought they were great for cold faces.

I don't go out with them very much when it is cold, it's simply too painful for me most of the time. We do have to walk wherever we do go though, so they get their exercise. During school they do school runs and play times. During half term we walk to the shop round the corner and to the children's centre which is a little bit further, but we do a lot less outside play in winter than in summer. There's a park just across the road and along, so I should really try a bit harder I think. Might start filling a hot water bottle and going along with a blanket for the bench while they run around, I can read and they can play.

Walking to the shops is seriously being spoken about as "exercise" ? I do think you shouldn't avoid exercising - or play that is exercise for children - just because it's close to or below 0, that's really not very cold at all - if you're actually exercising with any sort of intensity you'll probably still want to be in not much more than hat and gloves (yesterday running in -4 temps I had to remove my hat and gloves through being too hot.) Of course not everyone is the same but no-one can be stuck inside at 0 or -5, they would just need a few more layers.

People do seem to be desperately anti getting cold, which is pretty odd considering how cold peoples homes were 50 years ago. And this change must have come from people getting into the habit of avoiding the cold, which leads to more sedentary and less healthy lifestyles so I think YABVU to not get your kids out simply because it's a little chilly.

UANBU
Warm houses and warm cars that's what winter days are made for.
If below zero and the sun is shining then I might wrap up for a walk, but as long as it's depressingly grey I'm staying put.

Insancerre, I love that video, I want to work there.

did you see the little boys hands when he was eating his dinner LOL.

Don't think we would get away with that in UK early years settings.

Ineedalife
I was very impressed when I first saw it. I would love it if all early years settings were like that here too.
Children are far too over-protected here.

My mum used to make me go outside every day as a child, usually for an hour or so, when I wanted to stay in and read my books. This did not set me up for loving the outdoors or liking exercise, I disliked both then and I still do.

What Hardgoing said. Except it was my father who used to force me to go outside at weekends when I wanted to stay in and read my comics. After a while, I rebelled-he could force me to go outside but not to interact or play, so I would sit mutinously on a low wall/the step for a couple of hours until I was able to come in-this lasted for several months until he bit the bullet and stopped trying to control how I spent my time.

insancerre I love that video, thank you for that. My DS2's preschool get them outdoors all the time. They have enough all in one wetsuits and just about enough wellies for the kids (although most of the parents send them in wellies most of the time anyway) and have them out in all weathers. When I walk past with the dog in the morning, even in the pouring rain they have them out there, all waterproofed up and splashing and ferreting around in the mud.

I maintain I didn't throttle both my DSs because of those all in one wetsuit things.

Having said that, I do think you are over thinking this OP. It is peculiarly, bitterly cold at the moment and we only went out for the morning because a.) we have to and b.) we love it. There are plenty of other things I rather avoid doing with the DSs that I probably should be doing but don't very often because I really really don't like them.

I meant the 'overthinking' bit in a nice way, btw. Think my last post came over a bit bossy. Sorry. Not meant that way at all!

Even at -20 celcius I am outside everyday with an 22 month old. Good warm waterproof clothes that cover the whole body (for parents and children) and we will be happy for 2 or even 3 hours playing together.

It is the norm here to take children of all ages outside (or if you have your own balcony or garden, just leave the pram outside) to sleep, the whole year round.

I am British btw, so it's not something in the blood of the locals that gets them used to the cold weather!

Ikkje dårlig vær, bare dårlig klær.

Just get out. If you never get out, you never get used to the cold. I love beng out for ages in the cold/ wet etc. and then coming into the warmth...