To think children need to get out in the fresh air every single day

[lkissaa]

Obviously every now and again if they're ill or parents feel like a lazy day but generally, I feel it's very very important for children to be outside getting exercise every day. It helps stimulate their brain, keep them fit and healthy and helps to use up their energy so they sleep better at night. Even if it's just in the local park or even just the garden.

I've worked extensively with children with behavioural problems and while many of them have more deep-routed issues, in many cases once the parent started taking the child out every day for exercise and outside play, the behaviours improved massively and in some cases almost disappeared.

When I was a child my Dad took us out every day for walks and we loved it. Playing outside.

I hat to compare children to dogs, but dogs get very disturbed if they don't have a walk every day and in some ways I feel children are the same. They don't need walking, but they do need fresh air and a change of scenery.

AIBU to think that?

Fresh air is lovely but I don't think it's necessary for kids to have it every day...it's the exercise that's necessary IMO.

Last Saturday for instance, my dc had dance from 10.30-12 and we went to a giant soft play centre from 2-4. No fresh air in between other that house to car.

They were exhausted and zonked out by 7. Fresh air had nothing to do with that, it was just the sheer amount of exercise.

yanbu at all
an hour outside. raingear for rainy days.

2 walks a day? Like the pp said, they're not dogs. They need to be active which can also take place in the garden or indoors.

Mine both 'exercised' for a solid hour this morning by running back and forth upstairs/downstairs and moving the (smaller) bits of furniture around in their room to make a den. They were both hot sweaty messes by the end of it.

sn/disabilities excepted it is really lazy parenting to have a duvet day/pj day with young kids (unless you are sick/they are sick) blobbing them in front of screens for 8 hours while you mumsnet... hardly gold standard mum'ing is it?

Uphill there AND back, usual?

Children do need exercise. Ideally outdoors. Keeps them healthy and wears them out. Nothing wrong with suggesting that. Sod doing it in the pissing rain through. Anyone who says they enjoy walking in icey cold rain or hail is a massive, smug-faced liar.

Even if it is lazy parenting is that bad? Do we all have to reach some standard of "perfect parenting" all day every day?

Surely it is good to help children learn how to "switch off" anyway? Let them realise that they don't need to be on the go 24/7

no usual, kids are in bed, they've been outside all day at a country park (9.30-4.30) so they're pretty tired.

why so chippy Usual? Do you have special PJ's for going to Asda or something?

Yeah. Fresh air and excersise will cure my son's autism and adhd. Oh silly me why didn't I think of that

No amount of walking or fresh air made a difference to my son's meltdowns and daily struggles so fuck off with your ignorant attitude op

The amount of fresh air I get makes no difference to my adhd and asd either. I still have the daily struggles. It never ever goes away

thanks usual. Do you really not think that kids should be outside blowing the cobwebs away?

the gold standard mumming was semi-tongue in cheek by the way- it's not in any parenting manual is it? Stick your kids in front of a screen for 8 hours because you can't be bothered to get them dressed/ dress yourself.

I judge. So shoot me.

Gold standard mum'ing. I've heard it all now.

Surely the correct phrase would be gold standard parenting. Since it's not always down to the mum to you know, parent.

It we stay in the house all day it's because it is what ds needs. Days in generally drive me mad but I know my child well enough to realise he sometimes needs a day in.

If that makes me lazy then so beit.

sn/disabilities excepted it is really lazy parenting to have a duvet day/pj day with young kids (unless you are sick/they are sick) blobbing them in front of screens for 8 hours while you mumsnet... hardly gold standard mum'ing is it?
I'm confident you do at least one thing that someone else would consider really shit parenting.

Yanbu
Same for adults too.

Sometimes my dcs give me the look of death if I dare suggest we walk or go outside. However they really benefit.

Alternatively I chuck them in the garden going out with them with a cuppa in a flask.

My dcs slept better as babies/toddlers the more they played outside.

Meh. My kids spend half their life in the garden coming up with increasingly dangerous games, and are in the woods or on the beach when most kids are at school (home ed). So on the odd day when one or none of us can be bothered and the weather is crap we light the fire and read or play on tablets, craft, cook etc. The odd day of sub standard parenting is a-ok with me.

Balance is the key!

And the kids are often naked or in pjs until we go out or people can over...however late in the day.

At the end of the day, it doesn't negatively harm a child to spend a day indoors. We do many more creative and role play activities than if I just took them to the park and mentally checked out/sat on my phone. Parenting is what you make of it, wherever you're based.

My children haven't been out at all today.

They all went out yesterday. I'm sure the younger two will go for a dog walk with their dad when I'm at work tomorrow but with my sister here I can't see my teens leaving the house.

We love duvet days.

Tbf actually after reading this thread I decided to pop out and get the milk that I'd been putting off getting.
DD1 was still a shit going to bed.