AIBU to take our DDs on a long walk?

[Joolsy]

OK it was a lovely warm day today so OH decided it would be nice to do one of the walks in our book (1st time). It turned out to be quite steep uphill for 2 miles but with breathtaking views from the top. It was then a long, slow decline back for another 2 miles. Both DDs were crying on the way up as it was hot & they said their legs were aching. I quite enjoyed it myself - I just like getting out in the fresh air & getting some exercise. But I feel a bit guilty that we made them do this walk when they'd rather be doing something 'fun' and there probably wasn't much in it for them. AIBU to feel like this?

[Minispringroll]

4 miles isn't far, to be honest, not if it's spread out a little and you have a rest every now and then...although I hate going up hills.
I took my class for a walk a while ago. One parent repeatedly told me that her dd wouldn't be able to walk for any length of time, before we had even set off. Neither her dd nor any of the other children complained during our 2 hour walk. They were relaxed, had fun, would have quite happily gone on and certainly weren't tired out by the end of it.
I think some of it is just practice. If children aren't used to walking any distance, then 4 miles will seem like a lot. If (like the unfortunate children in my family) their parents and grandparents have frequently dragged them out to do 7-10 miles per day, then it's not such an issue.

[ChopOrNot]

DD (9YO) and Ds (7yo) walked 13k last week around a Scottish Loch. Took a big chunk of the day and we broke it into chunks with some Geocaching, had plenty to drink and a eat.

Tell your DCs to stop being so whingy!

[Joolsy]

Thanks again for the replies. I will try to choose more family friendly routes next time. It wasn't all that hot as alot of it was in the shade

[Hellionandfriends]

I don't think a 6 and 12 year old needs lots of snacks for a 4 mile walk. However being a hot day, a woodland walk would have been better. We walked today and even as regular walkers it was too hot

[fuzzpig]

Might've been a bit much for 6.5, but 12, good grief YWNBU.

We don't have a car so the DCs are used to it walking, DH often takes our 8yo for walks in the woods (I am not usually well enough to walk that far) and they cover a lot of ground, it really calms her.

I'd scale back to maybe an hour walk for now, do that sort of amount regularly to get their tolerance up, it'd work better than getting them absolutely knackered with something really long.

[ReginaFelangi]

DCs have regularly walked 1.5 miles since they were about 2 (up one side of a hill and down the other). It seems to have grown naturally into walks of up to 3.5 miles at 4. Eldest (6) can easily do 5 miles - just as I did with my dad at that age. Any whinging and we sing - first something we all know and then it descends into all manner of crazy made-up shit.

[Keeptrudging]

DD walked most of Hadrian's wall with me, some days were 10+ miles aged 8, both my children did all - day walks from approx 3+, but they loved it. Walking isn't everyone's idea of fun, but I definitely don't think you ABU re distance.

[formerbabe]

Sorry but yabu. I think I'd have been crying and whinging too at being dragged along to that.

[YeOldeTrout]

mm... the OP's 12yo is almost too old ime. They are so set in their ways & increasingly they know their own minds, it's rather late to get them into a walking habit if they aren't enthusiastic, so much aggro. I hope to still chivvy DS into walks up to about 13yo, but may not manage it; then again, he's my best walker so may be fine still at 13yo.

My youngest (7yo) is the worst walker OMG and we only managed about 1mph today which was hard work (6 hrs). He's usually not as bad as that. I'm working on it.

[DeeWe]

Oh great. They're not enjoying it so make sure they do more and then they'll enjoy it.

Didn't work for me on walking, and I doubt people would be suggesting it for other things. They don't like rugby at school, enrol them to a club so they can do training once a week and then they'll love it. Works for some children, gives others misery once a week.

[ChillieJeanie]

I realise my situation is unusual and not likely to be the case with the OP's children, but it did remind me of when we were dragged out for regular walks as children. I always complained about being in pain, but my parents thought I was just whinging and took no notice. Everyone felt ever so guilty about it when I was diagnosed as having a curved spine as a teenager.

[StitchingMoss]

We did a 5 mile walk this week with a 5 & 7 year old!

Can't believe how lazy and whingy some kids are nowadays about walking - I've walked kids from our school into town before and they are soooo unfit and incapable of walking. It's frightening.

[Effster23]

Way back when, I worked in the U.S. at an outdoors adventure summer camp we used to go on one mile per age of the kid, plus one more mile; aged 5 and above; and found it surprisingly accurate!
So your average 6 year old could manage 7 miles etc over a good time span.

Oh those heady, un- Health and safety fearing days!

[ouryve]

NT properties can be great for getting reluctant kids moving. We went to Fountain's abbey last weekend and covered about 4 miles, at varying paces, stopping to look at things, smell some flowers, wander among the ruins, peer into some temples, eat ice cream. There were hilly bits and flat bits and even with 3 of us hypermobile, the day passed just fine with no tears. The hardest part was the climb to the exit!

[BackforGood]

Good grief.
In the first instance I was going to say 'depends on the age of the dc', but then saw you only walked 4 miles, so hardly a "long walk"

Once you said how old they were, then clearly there is no problem expecting them to be able to walk such a short distance.
As it was warm, the important thing was to make sure they had water and sun hats, but apart from that, of course YWNBU.

[Hellionandfriends]

I think one mile per year is about right from the age of 2 or 3

[Hellionandfriends]

Or at a basic minimum, half a mile a year. So a 6 year old should walk 3 miles at least, a ten year old should be able to walk 5 miles at least.

[Hellionandfriends]

The trick is regular walks, even if it's only once a week

[alrayyan]

What's a fruitflake? is it like a sweet?

[Hellionandfriends]

Some awful fruit mush that's mostly turned to sugar!

An apple or some cheese would be better

[bigTillyMint]

OP of course YANBU. Don't stop doing walks with them! As others posters say, keep them walking regularly and build up distance.

Today we did both a 2 mile and then a 3 mile walk with our friends DC who are 7 and 10. No moaning at all as they walk regularly.
Last year we did a 9 hour hike up a volcano with our DC aged 13 and 14 at the time. The only person moaning was me, at the end as I could barely feel let alone move my legs!

[alrayyan]

or sweets

[YeOldeTrout]

Yoyos & crisps are the standard snacks for mine, on a 1.5-2 hr walk. They don't get them unless we go out and do something (& at school).

I couldn't offer all the chocolate they can eat bag would weigh 16 kg .

Gosh I'd weep with joy if small-DS would eat a lump of cheese or an apple.

[Asleeponasunbeam]

I bribe with a smartie or haribo at various points, just before the whinging sets in. So we usually walk to the picnic spot/ river/ rock we're aiming for, stop for a play, then bribe on the way back. 'sweet at the next tree'; 'sweet the next time anyone sees a rabbit'; 'sweet when you find a style' etc. I can make that last for hours. DC are 3 and 6. Prone to whinging, but we have a dog and live on Dartmoor!

[LilyMayViolet]

That really isn't an especially long walk. Granted the first part was up hill but that's well within the capabilities of children of those ages.