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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To take my six year old on a nightly walk?

458 replies

AddisonM · 06/12/2020 11:21

I need to lose some weight. I’ve been struggling with undiagnosed depression and I’m trying to dig my way out. I have been following a friend on Facebook who has dropped three stone since January just by walking. She walks every single night for miles. She looks fab.

I used to run and go to the gym but I can’t seem to muster the energy or confidence right now. So maybe a long evening walk is the way forward.

My six year old daughter is a bit prone to laziness and doesn’t really do much exercise. She’s not keen on it and I find this a bit difficult to accept, tbh (I mean I get that she doesn’t like it but it’s important to be healthy and she has couch potato tendencies). I’m thinking about taking her with me on these walks. I don’t know how up for it she will be but she’s quite clingy with me just now so she may come along just to be with me. I thought it would be nice. We could chat. We walk to school every day and I quite enjoy it.

Husband not keen on the idea (he would be at home with three year old, who wouldn’t walk far enough). Says it’s up to me, but thinks it’s a bit dark and cold and that she wouldn’t enjoy it.

Has anyone else done this?

OP posts:
Saz12 · 07/12/2020 20:31

Wrap up and try it! I might do the same, as I need to be more active. Start with 20 minutes and see how it goes.

midnightstar66 · 07/12/2020 20:41

When you were kids didn’t any of you play out after school in the winter? Owwwe it’s a bit cold the kids will be tired, blah blah blah

Mine came home tonight at 6pm and went straight out to play, with out any coats!!! - they came in an hour later flushed and covered head to toe in mud. Should I phone SS myself?

DipSwimSwoosh · 07/12/2020 20:42

My 5 year old dd likes to come on runs with me a few times a week at about 6pm after dinner. Sometimes 1km, sometimes 4km. She wants to go every day but things like homework and nits get in the way! She loves having 121 time and chatters all the way.

flaviaritt · 07/12/2020 21:04

My daughter loves going out for a bit when it’s dark. Stars, moon, ice on the cars, Christmas lights - she’s so excited. Wrap up warm and make it between dinner and bed and she should be fine.

Sarahandduck18 · 07/12/2020 21:31

A woman was murdered walking at night near me a few years ago so I’d never walk alone at night.

I thought most women don’t walk alone at night?

HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee · 07/12/2020 21:34

Of course I (and other women) walk alone at night why wouldn’t we?
My phone is charged ,I stick to lit areas,I have an alarm
I refuse to be on curfew in case a man maybe attacks ,e

flaviaritt · 07/12/2020 21:42

I walk alone at night. I refuse to confine myself to my home during winter for 16 hours a day.

CaptainMyCaptain · 07/12/2020 21:43

@Sarahandduck18

A woman was murdered walking at night near me a few years ago so I’d never walk alone at night.

I thought most women don’t walk alone at night?

It would be quite safe where I live. I think we're talking about 6 pm anyway not 2 am.
HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee · 07/12/2020 22:00

Unfortunately Women are most at risk at home in a domestic setting with current partner

cakewench · 07/12/2020 23:11

Go for it. We’ve been walking with DS since about that age, usually under the premise of playing Pokemon Go, but he can be talked into most walks regardless. Walking is our main activity; none of us are particularly sporty. We walk a lot, either on local streets or country parks.

Walking in the dark, well, if you’re in Scotland, it’s going to be a given this time of year, isn’t it! I’m not originally from the UK but it feels dark for several months of the year to me!

EugenesAxe · 08/12/2020 01:20

I think it would be alright - two miles building to three after a while maybe? Would only be an hour.

My DH goes jogging with DS for similar reasons... they do about 4-6km each time. We'd consider a 3 mile walk as 'short' and the children would be fine with it. A very outdoorsy teacher my DS used to have said she'd walk 14 miles each weekend with her 6-7 year old children Confused. So basically, it's well within her abilities but perhaps build up gradually.

user1494050295 · 08/12/2020 03:15

Just do it and see if friends and their children will join. Make it a social thing. I am doing this at the moment the children are slightly older but we are doing a 10k walk every week. Seeing all of the lights is lovely too. Good luck

Alonelonelyloner · 08/12/2020 06:40

Very cruel??? Wow some responses on here are absurd to me.

I go out for walks in the evening with my 6 year old and we race to lampposts- he usually wins- we play tig- I usually win, we walk and hold hands and chat about our day, our dreams, about the fairies that live in the trees. We look at the lights and see people living their lives and we make up stories about them.

If she doesn't want to then that's fine too. But give it a try. It can become 'your together time'. She'll remember it when she's older. I know this because my now adult children remember doing this with fondness.

Cruel. Good grief.

Fallingrain · 08/12/2020 07:23

I think it’s a great idea. Could you walk her home from school instead? Might be easier than going out again in the evening. But ignore people worrying about it being tiring and cold. It doesn’t do kids any harm to get tired after exercise and just make sure they are wrapped up warm. A hi viz jacket is always a good idea to make sure you are both visible to cars etc. We have a massive childhood obesity problem because kids get driven everywhere now and aren’t expected to walk - a few decades ago kids would have often walked several miles to school etc.

RizzleDrizzle · 08/12/2020 07:48

@Sarahandduck18

A woman was murdered walking at night near me a few years ago so I’d never walk alone at night.

I thought most women don’t walk alone at night?

There’s very many safety measures you can take to keep your safe

Charge your phone,
Keep to well populated lit areas
Carry an alarm

As scary and upsetting as that is, you have to carry on.

SBTLove · 08/12/2020 07:53

@Sarahandduck18
Do you think everyone has a 9-5 job and a car? Of course women are out walking in the dark!!
Sadly a woman was murdered in your area so you won’t go out at night, do you use that logic for all events? RTA? plane crashes?

notacooldad · 08/12/2020 07:58

I thought most women don’t walk alone at night?
I only have to look out if my living room window to see plenty if women out walking/ jogging/ cycling on the evening.
Often I'm one of them!

horseymum · 08/12/2020 08:03

Sounds great, mine love an evening walk. Head torches are fun. Loads of Christmas lights to spot too, ideal time. You might spot some wildlife too - urban here but we would see deer, bats, foxes, cats ( ok, not wildlife but still outside!)

MsAnnFrope · 08/12/2020 08:10

DD who is just 7 and I and sometimes DH love going for a “night walk” particularly right now when we go out looking for new Xmas lights in our neighbourhood.
When Beavers could do face to face they did night walks in the woods and DD loved it.
Who are all these precious 6 year olds who can’t possibly walk in dark and rain?
If you live where I think you do OP that is a beautiful city to walk at night!

LovelyIssues · 08/12/2020 09:49

My 6 year old comes on a dog walk with me every evening. It's even better at the moment as we go around spotting all the Christmas lights. Go for it OP

midnightstar66 · 08/12/2020 10:28

The problem with taking her bike/scooter is that she invariably gets fed up with it halfway round and I’ll end up lugging it back with me.

I'm wondering what sort of scooter your dd has, there a huge range in how enjoyable they are to ride. For example a character type scooter from a toys shop really will just be a toy- heavy, rattly and generally not much fun and lots of effort to ride. I've found investing in a decent one is definitely worth it - same goes for bikes.

I thought most women don’t walk alone at night?

What? How do you think woman get home from work/gym/study/picking up kids from childcare/brownies or go for a run etc? I live in a city (same one as OP I think) and many people don't have cars here as parking is a pain and public transport fairly good. People don't return home at 4pm each night through the winter and not leave again til it gets light after 8. They get on with their lives and walk where they need to go at the time they need to be there. I live looking on to a cycle path that links a lot of areas and people are regularly out running or walking by with their dc at 8pm.

Rosesarere · 08/12/2020 10:38

We have been going for nightly walks to see the Christmas lights, the kids have loved it, iv never seen them so keen to leave the house for a walk with me! Perfect time to start

Pegase · 08/12/2020 10:53

My just turned 7 year old would moan but then would actually enjoy the time one to one with Mummy. Particularly if we had a purpose/goal /task to do while walking.

Tried to get her to do W1 of C25K with me and she didn't like it.

She likes doing fitness videos with me on YouTube like yoga, Joe Wicks or Peloton.

Tzimi · 08/12/2020 12:04

I often used to accompany my dad when he took our dog out for a walk at night. This was a lot of fun, and when we got to the park, which was at a high vantage point, we could see the city all lit up.

Inwiththenew · 08/12/2020 12:15

It’s a great idea, in my experience kids do t jump for hot at the idea if a walk but enjoy it after a while. And you have the added bonus of Christmas lights to keep her interested. It’s a wonderful bonding exercise for you both too and I’m sure you’ll both benefit from the lovely one on one time you’ll have.