to think parenting small children is easier in warmer climates?

[tryingtobefunctional]

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?

One of my DC doesn't mind the cold, but the other feels it very badly and it makes him miserable. In the recent freezing temperatures it didn't matter how warmly I wrapped him up, he'd be crying within minutes and begging to go home. He gets it from me, tbf, I can't bear it either. So insisting on going out when it was going to make both of us miserable seemed a bit nonsensical!

Totally agree - my two were born and raised the Middle East - scorching temps in the summer 45-50 degrees at its worst. But we simply changed our routines. Arrived at the Country Club around 7am, had a swim, breakfast, run round and play. Home around 10.30 / 11am. Lunch with friends, then later in the day outside again. Even at its hottest the kids got to be outside. Paddling pools, swimming pools, always able to keep cool. Going anywhere was simple - no need for the huge variety of clothes needed over here. Getting dressed, shorts and t-shorts, was quick and easy.

The opportunities for sailing, diving, wind surfing etc etc were huge and cold water was never an issue. My children were outside every day of the year. School started earlier and finished earlier to work into the temps.

It was fabulous. So very very glad I didn't raise mine in the this wet, cold and gloomy weather.

Interesting thread, hearing perspectives from around the world. It sounds like the ideal place to be a parent is somewhere where the temperature range is only ever between around 15-25 degrees, I wonder if such a place exists.

Useful advice on better weather gear, I think I will invest in better stuff next year. My dc are very fair weather outdoors types so worth it - that's the issue for us, I'm willing to go outside in crap weather but dc aren't, we'll wrap up to go out in the garden and they'll want to come in after 10 mins so not worth the bother.

Of course extreme weather is different Short, but even in Scotland that's only a few days a year. Op was talking about this weekend.

But we simply changed our routines. Arrived at the Country Club around 7am, had a swim, breakfast, run round and play. Home around 10.30 / 11am

Yep. I forgot my lot coming for breakfast and a swim about 7am as well.

When my DCs were small, we lived in Singapore. To leave the house, I always had to lather them in sun cream, spray them with bug repellent ( dengue fever was a real risk), make sure they all had their sun hats and water bottles. I would worry that they would over heat at night or get too cold from too much aircon. I like being back in the UK (they are older though). I felt always hot and lazy in the hot climate and my middle dc would just lie on the marble floor and not move. I do miss being able to chuck them in the pool every time they were bored though.

I always found it much easier in the summer, and easier St of all was camping. No floors to mess up, children really tired by bedtime due to so much running around outside . I loved those days.
I never found rain and snow a barrier to going out, but the layering on of clothing, the drying stuff when you get in, all made for a much harder time . But then i love summer

YANBU at all, if you live in a mild country (but I do have friends currently posted in in Africa who do find it much easier there)

I find life easier here for those who are comfortable financially. You still have access to all the clubs and activities, someone to chauffeur the kids around (parent or au-pair for example), and a budget to go away during the school holidays, so ski or beach are always an option.

By contrast, friends in Southern Europe have been in the sun for weeks if not months. It might still be too cold to go swimming in the sea, but the kids play outside a lot more.

I am puzzled by English parents who chose to put their kids to bed so early all year round to be honest. They are up at 6, when it's too early to do anything around here, and in bed at 6 or 7. In the summer, they are missing the best hours of the day

That sounds amazing desertmum! However, in southern Spain we can get 40ºc from June to September and we have no aircon and no pool, only a muncipal pool that shuts eery Monday and for a week in August. Spring and autumn are great here and when the winter is dry, it's great, but if you live in hot climates but don't have that kind of rich expat lifestule, the extreme heat is a pain in the arse.

The Canary Islands would be good, they are mild most of the year.

I like the mild weather here in Oz but I do miss a lovely, damp English lane. A really old one with a ton of history. Something marvellous about walking down a lane which you know is an old Roman road.

Having lived in the heat of Cyprus (50 degrees in August) and the incredibly cold and snowy north of Germany (-25) plus the temperate UK I absolutely disagree.

UK weather is not extreme. That's the beauty of it. Never too hot, never too cold, never too wet, never too dry.

If you are staying in that is a CHOICE. Get some decent wet weather gear and take your kids out. They aren't made of sugar - they won't melt.

Welly walks, winter beach days, parks and playgrounds are all fun for children come rain or shine as long as they are dressed appropriately.

A proper all in one water proof suit, wellies and gloves hat etc and make the most of it. The weather has been poor but there have been very few days where is not been possible to get out.

Ds used to love going out in the rain, playing in the park and jumping in muddy puddles (remember to take towels and a change of clothes for getting back into the car!) Much more fun and healthier than sitting in moaning about the weather. for the sake of your dc you need to embrace the climate you live in.

1forAll74
We have only had a few drops of rain since Feb 2017. And by a few drops, I mean stuff has come out of the sky twice, and left some splatters on the floor - not enough to make the path completely wet.
We don't go outside very much when the minimum temperature is above 40C.

Hello there :) , it's my first time posting here and everyone seems so friendly :) I find that hot and cold weather comes with good and not so good. In the cold weather it can be a hassle getting organized to go out but then if there is snow, you have the fun of the snowmen and then coming in to hot chocolate, getting warm and having cuddles by the fire. And in warm weather there is good sunshine that makes you feel good and you can take the kids for a picnic and to play football and to the play park, but then there is always the days that are too hot and the kids are cranky and wanting lollies and complaining. To be honest, I don't think warm or cold weather makes a difference, I think it depends more on if you are alone or have help with the kids, and also if you are getting enough sleep :) :) :)

It's really not. I live in Kuwait. It's currently 7am and 18 degrees. It will hit 31 today. In the next few weeks it will creep up and will hit 55plus. You can't go outside. Even when the sun goes down it's still 35plus. Also we have bad sandstorms at this time of year so even if the weather isn't too hot you have to be wary of them. We can only be outside really between November and mid March. A lot of our activities are based inside where there is blessed air conditioning!

@Habeebtea - yip! I’m in the Middle East too.
Horrific is what I could call it. I’m due my DD2 in June, July and August are going to suck. My DD1 is nearly 2 but still doesn’t understand that slides etc get hot outside . Only so much swimming one person can put up with at 7am in the morning.

I don't know, I love summer but my LO got really warm last summer and although I enjoyed it we couldn't do anything , we get out at least once a day in winter, go for breakfast or lunch out or soft play

You would probably get a more accurate comparison talking with local people. It's never HOT in England let's face it, we are lucky if we ever reach 30 degrees for a day or 2. Even at our relatively mild temperatures, on a sunny summer day so many brits moan and complain how unbearable the temperatures are, they can't sleep, they can't be comfortable, the kids might get heat stroke (in the middle of the night in their bedroom, not even running around outside!).

Put any of these people in a warmer country than ours, and you will not hear anything nice about it!

@ikeepaforkinmypurse surely that subjective? For me it does get hot in this country. Anything about 20°C and I'm hot. Up to 30 and I feel like I'm dying.

I wouldn't go to a hotter country cos I wouldn't survive! As it happens I also like winter and would happily live in a cooler country!

I'm also so pale, I'm almost blue and don't have much cash to buy clothes. So spend most of these 'hot' days uncomfortable because I don't have the clothes for it. I'm a bit over my ideal weight so summer is a nightmare of trying to hide pale blue, flabby skin but not getting too hot.

Much Easier! Of course it is!!! Having kids where the sunshines is much better, they can play outside and create games instead of being indoors with materials (although not sure how many toys we had ;) ) . Living in a warm country you spend so much time outdoors and with so much more movement.....

UK is dismal and makes me depressed every year for 6 months. ......

It's not that subjective, looking at the average temperatures in the world, 20 C cannot qualify as hot. You can dislike it, but it's not hot.

i don't understand the issue with clothes frankly. (Again, we are not in Syria). Surely you can just remove layers, and wear just a tshirt? You need to spend a lot more money on winter wear. It works out so much cheaper anyway to live in warmer country, no heating needed, clothes dry naturally, house stays dry and you don't have to fight damp and mould like we do, tshirts and shorts or skirts.

My kids summer wardrobe is pretty minimal, and things can get washed and dry quickly (ish) in the summer month. Winter cost me a fortune!

ikeep
Summer costs us a fortune.
The air conditioning kicks in in March, and runs til November. This keeps the house below 25C.
I tumble dry my clothes here, having lined dried in the UK (we didn't own a tumble drier there) as if I put anything outside, it gets covered in sand and dust.
My kids have spent the morning inside, as there is a dust storm currently, and the air is yellow. And we wanted a slobby morning, not catapulting out of bed to the park before the temperature rose.
Everywhere has it's problems. The grass is often greener on the other side. But "hotter is better" isnt true after a point.

Not so much unreasonable so much as just "grass is greener on the other side"... we used to live in the Middle East, and summers were unbearably hot - so much so that you couldn't spend any length of time outside with the children as the heat and humidity was unbearable and sun was too strong (think 40-50 degrees plus from May through til September). Most families had a mass exodus back to the UK. I used to long for the UK as it was such a long summer, and would much have preferred to be in the UK where you could stick some warm clothes and waterproofs on and head outside! Conversely, winters were absolutely fantastic - a bit of rain and some miserable days, but generally very mild and easy to get out and about constantly.