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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think parenting small children is easier in warmer climates?

170 replies

tryingtobefunctional · 31/03/2018 15:59

I have 2DC pre-school age and we've been stuck indoors for months/weeks due to snow and rain showers. I am constantly clearing up toys, food, drink, wiping stains and general mess and always looking for socks, shoes, coats, scarves hats, and trying to catch each DC and dress them appropriately each day.

I remember what it was like for those couple of months last summer when I could put a little dress on DD and just a nappy and a vest on DS , put suncream on them, and go and sit outside in the garden or in the park or the playground and just let them play. You can't make a mess out of grass, or playground equipment which is nailed to the floor.

I have friends on Facebook in australia with similar age kids and every day they're at the beach. It just looks like it's easier.

AIBU/delusional?

OP posts:
PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 31/03/2018 16:03

YANBU or delusional.

RoxyRing · 31/03/2018 16:05

Yanbu, I think the same!

Degustibusnonestdisputandem1 · 31/03/2018 16:06

To give you some idea of how that's not entirely true, DTDs are 6, they've just had their 3rd visit to Australia and this is the first time I've deemed them safe enough to be in mum and dads back yard with their older cousins not 100% supervised. We've had the snake/spider talk which they're now old enough to understand, but previous trips I'd have to watch them like a hawk.

GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal · 31/03/2018 16:07

I agree. It's miserable trying to keep kids happy when it's cold, damp and dreary.

TheCriminalMind · 31/03/2018 16:07

I also think the same! Yanbu!

Treaclepie19 · 31/03/2018 16:07

I think it depends on your personality.

I really hate being hot, so for me summer becomes unbearable and I'm very grumpy.
Much happier playing board games and watching films with a cup of hot chocolate!
Though I do agree it's easier to think of things to do.

EarlyNinetiesDecor · 31/03/2018 16:09

YANBU. I have a 3yo and a baby and I could have written your post. When we go out DS often manages to soak himself in a puddle whatever he wears, and the baby hates being manoeuvred in and out of her snowsuit. DS gets very bored in the house too, his favourite phrase being ‘where are we going today?’

I’m totally fed up with it being cold and wet.

OneStepSideways · 31/03/2018 16:09

I agree.

It takes me 20 mins to wrestle my toddler into warm clothes, rain trousers, hat, mittens, wellies then by the time I've got my coat, hat, scarf and waterproof rucksack cover on she's taken them off again! Then it's all the spares- socks, trousers, shoes in case she goes in a deep puddle, mittens and hat in case they get lost. Take it all off on the bus, put it all on again to walk down the hill to toddler group, take it off again!

I love summer. All you need is sunscreen and a spare romper.

MrsMaxwell · 31/03/2018 16:10

I bought kids up here are in NZ it’s no different at all!! Grin

Golondrina · 31/03/2018 16:11

It depends what you mean by "warmer climes". We live in southern Spain and (more so when the kids were littler) people in the UK would always go on about how it must be so easy here with the warm weather. And certain things are easier, but it also gets really really hot here. It's 40ºC in the summer and the summer is any time from mid May really 8OK, so not 40ºC in mid May, but can be high thirties easily from June and goes on until October being really hot. When it's that hot, you can't do ANYTHING. And you spend ages avoiding the sun/putting on suncream etc.
And because so much of life is lived outdoors, when it's raining (which it can do a lot in a bad winter) there is bugger all to do. The parks are all fenced and stay locked on rainy days, there's very little in the way of soft play, etc. There's just nothing to do if you can't be outside.
Great in spring and autumn, but hard work the rest of the time.

upsideup · 31/03/2018 16:12

I think YABU.
Kids can get wet, rain does not stop you from going outside and playing at all, neither does snow or the cold as long as you dress them properly. Sun can do more damage, no matter how much sunscream I put on mine they sometimes still end up sunburnt, they get dehydrated, too hot and grumpy and want to stay inside.
Its easy to warm yourself up by putting layers on in winter but much harder to cool yourself down in summer, you can only take so much off.

Shortfatandangry · 31/03/2018 16:14

Same here. Absolutely dreadful winter, have literally spent the last few months cleaning up after and shouting at my children. Desperate for some reasonable weather so they can get back to running their energy off and I can get back to enjoying my time with them. Off on holiday in a few weeks and it can't come soon enough. So fed up of rain/snow/wind, utter shite.

Thinkofthemice · 31/03/2018 16:18

I live in Sweden. If we kept them in for rain or snow we’d live indoors. Here you just dress them (which yes, is a feat in itself) and pack them off out regardless of snow up to your thighs or it being -15.

Invest in some good quality (not supermarket, decent stuff) outerwear, warm clothes for you and get outside. You just have to accept that struggling into snowsuits and waterproofs and boots is necessary and helps to pass the time and tire them.

megletthesecond · 31/03/2018 16:18

Probably yanbu.
Mine aren't small anymore but I'm sick of the mud, layers, grumping around the house instead of playing footie etc.....

Blankiefan · 31/03/2018 16:19

I don't agree.

It's much harder work civerubg them in sun cream, dealing with sand, in & out of pools, watching they don't overheat, finding enough shade.

If it's wet here, just put them in wellies and a puddlesuit and go. Or go to a museum. Or to the library. Or whatever.

In truth, I think it just depends which you find more stressful. Clearly for me it's summer but I'm not a big fan of summer. Each to their own.

KoshaMangsho · 31/03/2018 16:21

It’s not. In India kids really need to be indoors from 10-4 for a chunk of the year because it’s so hot. And at least you can layer up for the cold. What are you going to do in the heat? Let them out naked?

rainbowfudgee · 31/03/2018 16:22

Temperate, mild, dry weather is the best for children really. 20 degrees, nice little breeze. Then you can go out in short sleeves and have the choice of outdoor activities and the option of taking a picnic. We have annual passes to a few outdoor places so it's much cheaper for us to have days out when the weather is nice. When it's wet and cold, swimming pools and soft play places are heaving.

Yanbu

Tailfeather · 31/03/2018 16:24

Totally agree. Bring on spring and the summer...

Wildlady · 31/03/2018 16:25

I think it is, gives you a wider scope activities wise.
Teacher wise speaking though the kids always want to be outside, guzzle drinks constantly ect ect.

Thinkofthemice · 31/03/2018 16:25

For context it was -10 this morning and there’s still snow at least six inches deep everywhere. It is starting to melt but it’s going to be another week at least. There’s been snow on the ground since December and we’ve had a mild winter. There’s no choice but to dress up and get out.
Decent gear is the key (for you too!) we get out less in summer as we are all very fair and crap with heat. We’ve only had about a week of weather too cold to play out in (strong windchill down to -37 for a few days which was grim as.)

Polarn o pyret or Didrikson stuff is sold in the UK and is great.

Tallblue · 31/03/2018 16:25

I disagree. I live in a place where temperatures only ever get as low as mid 20's in winter then in summer mid 40's and it can even reach 50 degrees. For 7 months of the year it's hard to go outside in the daytime. At least in cold or rainy weather you can layer up and still go out. Oh, how I miss the seasons! My children are trapped indoors for most of the year. On the plus side, the 5 'winter' months are glorious.

Llanali · 31/03/2018 16:26

I find the endless washing of yard clothes hard work, but aside from that, it’s not much different. We have animals so the kids are outside irrespective of rain and snow. I get a bit fed up of the constant search to find dry gloves, no matter how many pairs we own I can never find a dry set of left and right in the appropriate sizes!

CheeseyToast · 31/03/2018 16:28

Hilarious notion 😂

Scotinoz · 31/03/2018 16:31

Not totally. We lived in Victoria with 2 small kids, with week long runs of 40degree heat. Slides burn their bottoms and legs, it's just too hot for them after about 9am, you risk buring them with their seatbelt buckle, you have to run the air con for 5 minutes before loading them into the car, it's 30degrees in the house over night etc etc etc.

WaxOnFeckOff · 31/03/2018 16:34

I disagree for reasons already given, heat, sunscreen, water, nothing to do when it's chilly and rainy. I think it would be good to have a happy medium. Being able to plan ahead to do things at the weekend without having to have alternative plans when the promised sunshine is hail instead.

Plus, holidays and living somewhere are different. Positives are that on holiday, you aren't really bothered about housework and washing etc and if you work normally, you aren't working and trying to get everyone where they need to be in a hot car and all harrassed. On the other hand if it was your own home, you would have proper tv/internet access and toys so it's easier to entertain small people than if it's a random cold wet day when you are on holiday. Being stuck in an unheated apartment abroad with shit tv and no toys is terrible and you can't just wander to the cinema/soft play etc as the life is geared to outdoors.