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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think if DCs arent in pain or worn out they can walk however many miles they want?

35 replies

MsBella · 10/04/2013 19:48

Do a lot of walking with my DCs, one of my DCs and I were telling someone about how we did 8 miles the other day (not all in 1 go) DC was very proud about it, they enjoy it! Youngest DC gets carried most of the way or pushchair. Anyway she was saying that it can damage their legs and stop their growth, distrupt their development and its just 'not fair' on them. DC even said 'but it is fun and we like it' anyway the woman went on about it and I said 'thanks for your concern but I think you're wrong about this' she carried on and I'll admit I did end up saying 'nope that's wrong'

Was she just trying to help? Is she correct? My kids enjoy it, does that matter or is it bad for them? I've honestly got no bloody idea now, when I was a kid my mum would walk sometimes 20 miles a day (we used to travel around england in a wagon and she would walk at the side of it) so I did A LOT of walking, it didn't do me any harm I'm a normal height and don't have any problems relating to walking... but its hard for me to not worry about her being right that it could be harmful I mean they don't walk 20 miles a day or anything but I'm sure they walk more than the average kid/adult, they're very very active and I told the woman they are very active, also doing other physical acticities and she said 'it all adds up, you don't see the harm now but it could catch up with them' which to be honest I am finding it hard to understand

Am I BU should I listen to this woman
Can't find any answers from google

OP posts:
ElphabaTheGreen · 10/04/2013 19:51

You haven't said how old they are, but I can't imagine walking is a problem. Running can be an issue, but not walking.

HollyBerryBush · 10/04/2013 19:51

Load of twaddle. Fresh air and exercise never hurt anyone.

I used to get this too. It was a slow walk of a mile into town and another back. I used to have my then 14mo walk this every day. He still does prefer to walk rather than wait for a bus

Bakingtins · 10/04/2013 19:51

She's talking shite and contributing to the obesity crisis. As long as you are not forcing them to walk all day on a treadmill to generate your electricity mentally stores idea for hyperactive DS then YANBU and are probably doing them a power of good.

amiwhatorhow · 10/04/2013 19:53

yanbu to do it.

yabu to boast about it.

chrome100 · 10/04/2013 19:53

YANBU. I walk ten miles a day (five to work and five back). My colleague NEVER SHUTS UP about how I'm going to damage my knees and get arthritis etc. Load of shit. We are built to walk, simple.

kinkyfuckery · 10/04/2013 19:54

If they're no underlying health concerns, I can't imagine walking would do any harm.
There's this awful mentally that certain people have where it's like "OMG you walk places? We go everywhere in the car!"

Original poster
MsBella · 10/04/2013 19:56

Wasn't boasting, she asked dc what she had been up to lately
And god I'm glad about these answers, I was starting to wonder if she could be right, I know jogging or running can stress peoples joints sometimes

OP posts:
PenelopePipPop · 10/04/2013 19:56

Obviously YANBU. But if this woman kept going on about it why didn't you just interrupt her and ask her for her evidence base? Walking will disrupt development FFS.

I personally think allowing children to eat cheese will encourage mice to nest in their mouths. Also that children who play with balloons may accidentally float off and turn into moonbeams. And that children who are taught to swim will transmogrify into otters and escape into the wild and do untold damage to natural habitats. Do by all means waste your life checking the truth of my beliefs on Google if you wish...

NuhichNuhaymuh · 10/04/2013 19:57

YANBU

The daft thing so she is - I agree that attitudes like hers contibute to the obesity problem

XBenedict · 10/04/2013 19:57

I think you've said the important bit in your thread title - as long as they aren't worn out or in pain. Children can over exercise but it's usually associated with competitive sport not walking a couple of miles. Smile

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 10/04/2013 19:58

If we were not built to walk, we would have wheels. Yanbu, unless you were showing off and it doesn't sound as if you were tbh.

MintVelvet1937 · 10/04/2013 20:00

it can, but i seriously doubt your kids are doing the sort of excercise that is likely to cause damage. Your thread title gives the appropriately balanced view. If they are not tired, or hurt, then its absolutely fine.

Lucyellensmum95 · 10/04/2013 20:02

I walk everywhere and often used to walk 7 miles home from work, so when i did similar with DD people had Shock faces - she was 6 at the time, perfectly capable of walking with the bribe of dinner in the cafe on the way home

ChippingInIsEggceptional · 10/04/2013 20:03

I cannot see how letting/encouraging a child to WALK can be bad at all - even 8 miles Grin

There was an interesting thread on here a while ago (18 months ago maybe?) about why running could be bad for children (as in proper running for 5 miles etc, not just running around playing)... but I'm pretty sure you can't harm them walking Grin

Well, I guess if you made a 2 year old walk for 10 miles a day everyday it might be bad for them - but good luck with that! It's pretty hard going to get kids that don't want to walk, to walk - let alone any distance on a regular basis that could even remotely, possibly, maybe harm them surely??

Tee2072 · 10/04/2013 20:04

My son walks 3 miles a day. At not quite 4 he's nearly 3.5 feet tall and starting to make muscles.

This is bad, how exactly?

MrsDeVere · 10/04/2013 20:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JulieCarp · 10/04/2013 20:05

What a load of crap ! My Dc walked miles as little ones and guess what they slept like babies Grin.
Its not healthy for DC to be driven everywhere - walking is good for them.

Original poster
MsBella · 10/04/2013 20:13

Ah that's my favourite part- sleeping like babies

When I got rid of my car they weren't too into walking but such a difference now in terms of health and willingness to walk places, I was thinking surely it can't be a bad thing and thank god I seem to be right

OP posts:
SatsukiKusukabe · 10/04/2013 20:16

what did people do before cars then? Confused or in nomadic tribes?

fledtoscotland · 10/04/2013 20:17

YANBU! 8 miles isn't that far. DS1 (5) and I walked that yesterday from the train station, round glasgow and up to the west end where we met DH who works there and he brought us home. Today we've only walked about 5 miles with 2 short dog walks but the boys were playing outside this afternoon so have probably covered much further.

CreatureRetorts · 10/04/2013 20:19

I love walking and think walking your children is great.

Running for long distances is bad for children I think because it's the constant stress - they're better suited to short bursts of high intensity exercise.

But walking - all good. We had no car as a kid and we walked a lot. My ds is lazy and I wish he walked more but as I'm at work 4 days a week there's only so much I can do.

JulieCarp · 10/04/2013 20:25

My favorite parenting discovery was finding out that if I flogged them ahem -made them walk they would literally crawl into bed and sleep for 12 hoursGrin is this bad ?

specialsubject · 10/04/2013 20:30

boast away - good for you. And well done on not saying 'stop talking bollocks, go learn some science'

heavy gymnastics, extreme levels of running and contact sports can have dangers. One foot in front of the other never does. They only get rickets ('bandy legs') if you don't feed them right and keep them indoors the whole time

RawCoconutMacaroon · 10/04/2013 20:36

What bollocks! It's great that they are walking.

One note of caution would be use properly supportive footwear (with good arch support) as many younger children need that support as arches may not be fully formed... The right shoes can prevent sore feet.

2 of my dc have low arches even now as teens, and for hiking/rambling they HAVE to use properly fitted walking shoes with fitted inserts. Normal shoes would leave them in a lot of pain after 2.5 or 3miles. In the climbing shop where we buy walking shoes, we were told that's quite common as SHOES can damage feet by making us walk differently - walking barefoot is not really an option though is it?!

Wiifitmama · 10/04/2013 20:42

Children should be active. Research says that adults should do 10000 steps a day to keep active but kids should do 12000. Keeping in mind that they take more steps to walk the same distance as an adult: for me at 5 foot 3.5 inches, 10000 steps is around 4.15 miles. So 8 miles is certainly a lot, but in a good way!

I am educating my older two children (aged 12 and 9) about walking more as I recently got a pedometer. We do things like get off one tube stop too early and walk the rest. They are regularly walking a mile to the next tube stop rather than getting on the one closest to home. At first there was a little moaning, but they are now realising that this is a much healthier way of living.

I would much rather my kids grew up seeing being active throughout the day as normal rather than being sedentary all day and then having to go out to "exercise".

Thank god we live in London with no car :)