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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Can my children go out for another walk today?

541 replies

1278kj · 26/03/2020 14:10

I’m aware it’s episode of exercise today. I have not been out today.

Basically my partner took dc and the dog out this morning before he went to work - he has to go to work. I was waiting in for a delivery so couldn’t go.

Going a little crazy and thinking of going out for a walk myself but that means two walks for dc today!

I live in a rural area. Hardly anyone around. Probably wouldn’t meet anyone and plenty of open space to socially distance anyway.

Aibu to take them out for another walk?

OP posts:
Treacletoots · 26/03/2020 15:02

Hmm at all the people here who don't seem to understand we are staying at home is to minimise social contact.

If you live in a rural area where you likely won't come into contact with others then you really are being rather thick to think that OP taking 2 walks will increase their risk of exposure.

Living in London. Different story. OP does not. Start using common sense ffs

00100001 · 26/03/2020 15:03

@SoupDragon

But by blindly applying the rules, because we went for a walk outside, my son's now not allowed to play football in the garden.... Because that's exercise outside.
We have just as much contact with people and objects in our garden than the rec.

That's why people are morons.

Who is OP putting at additional risk in her situation??

Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow · 26/03/2020 15:06

That’s just it. Everyone will tell you no on here but realistically will you even see anyone? It’s entirely different in busy areas so they can’t have a flexible rule but I would just use common sense.

I live very rurally and am doing same.

geekone · 26/03/2020 15:07

No, you can’t. I get that it is probably safe, thought who knows but once a day minimised what they touch before or after anyone else.
If I put my dog in the car and drive him 10 mins to the local deserted beach I will be in the wrong but if I take him a walk to our local quiet but not deserted Social distancing possible at 6.30am then I am following the rules. Those rules don’t make sense but they are the rules and if we don’t follow them then we allow others to break the more important ones.

Esspee · 26/03/2020 15:07

I am stunned at the number of people on here who want to adhere to rules regardless.
Please everyone run the recommendations through your brain and make a decision based on common sense.
OP you are not harming anyone. Take the children.

geekone · 26/03/2020 15:07

Not deserted wood where social

mooboy · 26/03/2020 15:08

And how does going out for two thirty minute walks kill more people than one hour long walk? I thinking of the poster who wanted to do this with her over excited puppy and she was told PEOPLE WILL DIE!

diddl · 26/03/2020 15:08

"Who is OP putting at risk in that situation?"

No one imo.

Just like the poster who wanted to take her dog into an empty field more than once & was rounded on.

Monstercruch · 26/03/2020 15:11

If it’s rural with no one about, it’s fine. Of course it is ffs

Deux · 26/03/2020 15:11

The mistake you’ve made is asking on here.

You could stay within the rules and easily leave your house 5 times in a day: go to the supermarket; go to the pharmacy; help someone vulnerable; go to work; go for your daily exercise.

greenlynx · 26/03/2020 15:12

I’m very serious about rules and sticking to them however in this situation I would say you can go if you’re in rural area and won’t meet people on the way, you were waiting for the delivery and now you can’t leave children on their own, and late walk on your own might be uncomfortable for you. Also I don’t know what degree of autism your children have but I do understand that it’s might be essential for you to take them for this second walk.
Could you plan just one walk for them in the future between you and your partner and make sure you stick to this?

Janaih · 26/03/2020 15:13

I'm a stickler for the rules, but look at the facts: You need to go for a walk. You cant leave the kids on their own, therefore you have to take them with you.

BambooSurprise · 26/03/2020 15:13

Do it or don't but ffs don't ask on here, it'll set off WW 3 on yet another thread.

Amen.

DramaAlpaca · 26/03/2020 15:14

OP, ask yourself what your common sense is telling you to do, then do that.

mooboy · 26/03/2020 15:14

Someone asked on the radio was it ok if the went to the supermarket for beer and there were told alcohol and tobacco were not essential and they should stay at home. Low and behold Off Licenses are now on the list of essential retailers because the supermarkets were running out of booze.

cologne4711 · 26/03/2020 15:15

Do it or don't but ffs don't ask on here, it'll set off WW 3 on yet another thread

This.

lunar1 · 26/03/2020 15:16

No they can't go out again, your children aren't special in this, nobody is. The government didn't say it's fine to go twice if you are rural, they said everyone gets to go out for one period of exercise a day.

diddl · 26/03/2020 15:16

All this going out as little as possible seems very geared towards heavily populated places.

Does going into your garden count as leaving the house?

I would think not but could be wrong.

OlaEliza · 26/03/2020 15:21

If a tree falls over and no-one is there to hear it, did it really fall at all?

CanICelebrate · 26/03/2020 15:22

I took one of my dc out twice yesterday and did feel bad about it. All the dc and dh had a long ish walk with the dog in the morning.
I wanted my daily walk in the evening and I ended up taking my oldest dc (younger ones were in bed). He has fairly severe ocd and evening walks help him relax and then sleep better. I felt a bit bad but it was dark and we didn’t really see anyone and it made him a lot calmer. It was a one off due to circumstances and today he’s saved his daily exercise until this evening.

Bagelsandbrie · 26/03/2020 15:22

God I hate all the judgey fucks on these threads.

If you live in London or somewhere busy it’s a completely different ball game but if you live rurally and won’t see anyone what the hell does it matter if you have 1 or 100 walks a day?! People are being ridiculous.

We live rurally. We walk 5 mins from our house and into open fields. And I know we are very lucky to be able to do that. We used to live in the middle of south London so I can only imagine how awful it is to be somewhere like that now. It’s a different world if you live in the countryside.

BogRollBOGOF · 26/03/2020 15:23

As it's a quiet area, go for it. Sanity is important too.

Crowding into the streets and parks in urban areas carries a risk if it is difficult to space appropriately. This is why there is a control about going off for an episode of outdoor exercise per day. Simple rules work best as a catch-all.

My police force is explicitly telling people not to go to the countryside/ national park. Common sense means that they're talking about filling up the car parks and hilsides at well-known honeypot sites in the more celebrated parts of the county, not me and the handful of other locals that know them, wandering off on our usual local running routes 500m from the edge of town and less than 1km from the edge of the arse end of nowhere.

Some MNers would have you venturing out for no more than 15 mins per day, no more than 500m from home, sterilising yourself on return and burning the clothes and bleaching any food you bought.

turkeyontheplate · 26/03/2020 15:25

If they're too young to leave at home safely, then I think you can take them with you when you go for your own daily exercise. It's important to take your daily exercise for your own mental and physical health. Just follow the distancing rules assiduously and wash thoroughly when you get back.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 26/03/2020 15:27

Are you bloody kidding me? Of course take children for a walk. Choose open spaces rather than narrow paths & stay well clear of anyone else you see out & about.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 26/03/2020 15:29

I have a 3 yr old and it would completely f*ck him up mentally to be restricted to our property for weeks at a time.