To take my six year old on a nightly walk?

[AddisonM]

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?

I doubt she will walk fast enough for it to be enough of a workout for you.

Op definitely do this. We go walking with our 6 year old every single night, we do dinner, bath/ pyjamas and then go for our walk, she is all tucked up warm and loves it.

We keep our weekday walks at 5k and she is in bed by 8.30pm and sleeps like a dream. On a Friday or Saturday night we do a bigger 6/7k walk and don't mind getting her a treat on the way or the promise of a nice hot chocolate when home.

She is a brilliant walker, no moaning and we have brilliant chats and discuss the benefits of walking to clear your head.

Do it

Of course children can go for walks!! It's great for them I walk mine everywhere and OP I have also lost lots of weight walking this year.

The only thing is you would have to walk your DD a distance appropriate for her, not you. If you want to get her in the habit, walk a loop round your estate, drop her off and then continue alone.

My six year old daughter is a bit prone to laziness and doesn’t really do much exercise

This is so depressing to read. She's 6 surely at 6 she knows no difference so why don't you get active as a family.
Surely her bad habits (at 6!) Are down to the parents and she's not responsible for this.

I think it's a brilliant idea and the sooner you start it the more ingrained it will become as a habit. I go with my 12 year old DS every night (it does help that we have a dog) and he has been doing this since he was about 8. It is the only time he properly talks to me, so it's a real decompression time for him, particularly since starting secondary. I realise that he won't always do it but it is so habitual now that it feels very odd if we don't do it. We are usually out for about 40 minutes and generally do about 2 miles. It in no way contributes to my fitness - I run at lunchtimes, but I'm sure that it contributes to his mental wellbeing.

DD (aged 10) walks to school with me in the morning so we have that time and she is a lot more open generally and plays out in the street with friends so I worry less about her outdoor, exercise time.

It's a great idea, particularly at the moment when there are so many Christmas lights to look at.

Does no-one here have dogs that need walked? I'd have gone out on an evening dog walk or be sent from about 7 or 8 to do the evening dog walk when I was a kid. It never occurred to me that there was a choice and that I could whine and get to stay home.

Yes, great idea! Especially now, it could be a “let’s walk round the neighbourhood and see all the Christmas decorations” rather than a “we need to walk because we’re overweight”

I'd also add that you can't outrun your fork though and whilst exercise is an important part of weight loss, diet (for yourself) is more key.

My 10 year old often does the dogs 7pm walk with me. Wrap up warm, take some warm juice or soup in a travel cup and enjoy each others company.

Start small and build up the distance.

Get her wrapped up and she will be fine, plenty of people take kids of dog walks etc, would she take a bike or a scooter to mix it up a bit?

I would play it by ear whether she would do it every night though. If it’s something you wanted to do could you ask a friend to come with you?

Friend of mine had her 2 DC (6&5) out to walk 30 miles in November for the Royal British Legion. They achieved it in about 3 weeks, so a bit over a mile a day. Raised a bit of money for charity too.

Would be easier now with Christmas lights starting to go up, you can make it a treasure hunt, so you need to tick off certain colours of lights, snowmen, reindeer, Father Christmas etc.

How about a dog op?
That way it'll seem more fun and more of a routine.
If your work pattern allows it of course.

Just ask her. Say 'Mummy's going for a walk now, do you want to come with me or stay with Daddy'.

@Namechange8471

How about a dog op? That way it'll seem more fun and more of a routine. If your work pattern allows it of course.

Can always borrow someone else’s a couple of nights a week! (Borrow my doggy.com)

My DD's favourite thing about going to cubs is the walk there and back with me in the dark. Sometimes we take a torch. Sometimes we look for the moon and stars. Sometimes we look at the spooky trees, dragon breath and puddles.

We have been doing far more neighbourhood walks at weekend as everything is closed and the park is getting very samey. She loves exploring who lives where and how various people keep their gardens.

Can't believe the number of weird negative comments. A 20 minute round trip walk to school and back twice a day for the parent is roughly the same as a daily 5k - the couch to 5k mantra can be counterproductive if that is the maximum activity aim. (you have to cycle 10 miles to equate to 1 mile walking in terms of calories. By distance it makes surprisingly little difference whether you walk or run, but running saves time).

Go alone and leave her with DH and DC2.

@WaxOnFeckOff

Does no-one here have dogs that need walked? I'd have gone out on an evening dog walk or be sent from about 7 or 8 to do the evening dog walk when I was a kid. It never occurred to me that there was a choice and that I could whine and get to stay home.

I have a dog, but it's not the responsibility of a 6 or 7yo to walk the family dog. Children can't make the decision to get a pet - that's on the adults in the household and they need to take responsibility for making sure the dog gets the right amount of exercise.

That's why on a lot of threads where people are considering a puppy, posters will say to consider how grim it can be dragging small children out to walk the dog in all weathers.

Ardenon did it not occur to you that's what the Op is trying to do ? 🙄

Or walk for 30 mins during your working day, or do a gentle form of exercise from home, online, eg yoga.

I think you should get a rescue dog and then you will have to walk morning and night

And your kids will probably want to come too...

PS. ^Lighthearted.

Yes, I would take her, and the three year old in a pram...

If police saw you taking a 6yo on a long night walk your be reported to SS. Id report it personally too

Reported to social services for going for a walk? I'd love to be a fly on the wall when that referral comes in.

Noni wouldn't. After a full day of school, walking fast for miles is too much for a 6 year old.
She probably won't be able to walk fast or far enough for it to have any impact on your weight, if that's what your aiming for.

Yes but once a week let her choose a dance workout or similar for you both to do instead. Fab modelling of building exercise into your lifestyle op. Get an app like run keeper so she can enjoy tracking the miles or km you walk. And definitely go looking for Christmas lights.

We work full time. We can’t have a dog.

I am talking about a walk around the local streets at 6.30pm not a midnight hike up Arthur’s Seat

Yeah you’re right we should be more active as a family. That’s what I’m trying to do. And it’s not like we do nothing we walk to and from school every day (perk of working from home) and take them to parks etc all the time. But you know, I can take them to the park 10 times a week but if she chooses to do nothing much but sit on the swing with her doll there’s not much I can do about that.

If she wants to go fine.

Is her weight fine? Then she's fine.

YOU want to do this for you. It would be very unfair to drag her around because you need to do this . Does she actually need the walk or are you just taking her to keep you company/not get bored on your own?

Why not take a friend or join the other friend. Walking at a 6yo not very active pace won't make that much of a difference anyways.

Think carefully why you want to take her along, how much is for your own benefit and how much it is for hers, and consider if it's worth the effect if she really doesn't want to do it/hates it.