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?

I am a laissez-faire parent everyday, that doesn't change according to whether we make it to the back garden or not.

I probably have to be more hands on if we stay inside to be honest

Me? No, just not really up for pretending that on any level entire days when nobody gets dressed or leaves the house is some pinnacle of parenting.

if what i am saying is upsetting you for some reason then have a think why that might be.

Hodd I think that you are amusing people rather than upsetting them -but I think you know that

I think most parents realise that there isn't a pinnacle of parenting.

The ones who put pressure on themselves to reach some none existent pinnacle are the ones who are going to struggle.

Being less than perfect is fine, Hey even making the odd mistake as a parent is fine too. Parents are only human after all!

One of my DCs has ADHD and yes, making sure he goes out everyday is pretty important or he bounces off the walls. Shame his school didn't understand that and thought keeping him in at lunch would help with his lack of concentration. Since I've been HEing him he spends a lot of time running around outside meaning he is more able to concentrate when I need him to.

That doesn't mean it works for everyone and that doesn't mean there aren't days where I really can't be arsed to go out. I don't think we went out last weekend. I was lazy, they sat looking at screens or reading while I did the same. Sometimes a pj day or two is needed for my sake! My others had all been working hard at school all term, so they needed a break too - they all walk to and from school everyday as well as do active after school clubs, which I have to run them round to constantly.

Obviously 2 days of being in drove me mad in the end so I've planned to go out for the rest of the week.

When not chasing my son around the garden with a big stick, I like to think I'm quite laissez faire in my approach.

I have on occasion allowed him into the porch and pushed dry bread crusts through the letter box, only if it's snowing though.

ok. You can all have a borrow of my badge.

I know. I'm going to lose my gold standard mumming awarding if I let things slip any further.

I'm so upset that I might get out for a bit of fresh air.

You do come across as GFing, though.

None of us are perfect. Taking children outside can be just as much lazy parenting as staying inside.

Surely it's not so hard to understand that staying at home doesn't mean earth mother nor tv for 8 hours. Most of us sit on the fence on that one.

Surely a day's hibernation spent in front of the telly/gaming/voraciously reading/napping while wearing a onesie is a good thing once in a while? Everything in moderation makes for a healthy happy life doesn't it?

I think fresh air is very overrated.

This makes me wee a bit.

If the OPs theory about the great outdoors and sleep is true, then my child would be giving Sleeping Beauty a run for her money.

We are out most of the day. Walking dogs. Forest school. Exploring. Playing st park. Treasure hunting through fields. In he garden. And she still doesn't sleep 🙄

Nature and fresh air is beneficial, but definitely not linked to sleep!

DD often doesn't want to go out. It doesn't means she is staring at a screen. She has tons of other things to do indoors that don't involve screens (some mentioned earlier). Hodd, if your idea of staying in is staring at a screen, perhaps you need to buck your ideas up a bit? You don't necessarily have to be actively doing things with your kids for them to have a productive day. Children who can't amuse themselves probably need to be taken out a bit less and have a bit more time to be bored (because children are perfectly capable of coming up with fun things to do that don't involve screens if left to their own devices, IME).

As for the gold standard mumming, well, I have no idea what you mean by that. Is it staying indoors and doing crafts until you are sick of the sight of them? Is it driving them all out the door every day to get 'fresh' air? Is it making sure your child does 10,000 steps a day and a sport every other day? No, it is none of these things. Gold standard mothering is being responsive to your own children's needs and desires in a responsible way. No part of this involves making them run around a a park unless they actually need or want to.

If anyone is sticking their kids in front of the TV 8 hours a day, well, it's not ideal but I can't even be arsed to judge that. It's half term FGS. Let them do what the hell they like as long as it is neither annoying to the parent nor making the child's behaviour unbearable to others. I don't want to do productive things 24/7 on my holidays and I seem to be a fairly reasonable member of society.

But sometimes I imagined having a little girl like I was, who would happily sit in and read all day with not a hyper moment to be seen....

Funnily enough between my boy and girl child...the girl is the more ferocious one who cannot keep still. The boy child is way better at chilling out.

YANBU. Most toddlers and young children can walk a lot further than many people realise, if they have had the chance to get used to it. Plus if children are running around outside then at least they aren't creating mess and destruction inside, and are more likely to settle down to something quiet when they get back in.

Most people in this country have some form of park or green space within reasonable walking distance (which I would say is within a 1-2 mile radius of their house). Getting outside is good for everyone's physical and mental wellbeing.

ust not really up for pretending that on any level entire days when nobody gets dressed or leaves the house is some pinnacle of parenting

What the fuck are you on about? Nobody said it was the pinnacle of parenting

What on earth does "fresh air" have to do with anything? The regular old unfresh air inside your house does the same job. I absolutely think that daily exercise is important for children but i don't think it needs to be outside.

Surely if your children are happy and healthy (as far as circumstances allow) you're winning?

ok, so all you duvet day/PJ mums, i apologise, I had really no idea that on the days you couldn't be bothered to dress your kids/open the door you were all playing board-games, doing jigsaws, singing folk songs and preparing delicious organic meals for the cherubs

Or we could just be not fucking arsed and still, our children are still perfectly healthy and happy. Because many millions of children are still perfectly happy and healthy despite not being walked twice a day like dogs. And that is just fine, because we don't need yours or anyone elses permission to not treat our children like puppies?

Me? No, just not really up for pretending that on any level entire days when nobody gets dressed or leaves the house is some pinnacle of parenting

Is everyday supposed to be a pinnacle? Is that how life works?

Bloody hell, is this the how-to-be-a-perfect-parent thread?

I have a mahoosive house. It sits in 5 acres. Lucky me. The dc get to choose what to do in their holidays, the clues in the title. This varies between vegging, chasing each other around with improvised weapons, playing 'school' withdrawal symptoms driving me mad and the occasional planned activity with their old mum.
When I can't stand it any more I throw them outside and tell them to go play in the woods - this usually gives me about 15 minutes before they're back in, with new wood-based weapons...

I am undoubtably a crap mum, sfw, they're deliriously happy all holiday.

All fed none dead. Meh.