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?

When mine were little, We used to go out for a walk to look at the lights at this time of year. They loved it. Loads of layers, hats, and Wellies and it’s fine.

You probably won’t go quick enough to put you in the fat burning zone, but it will be a lovely thing to do together. Maybe you could do alternate nights, a fast one on your own and a slow one with your DD.

I think it's a great idea. As others have mentioned, it's a good time to do it with all the festive lights you're likely to see. Hopefully you'll both get something out if it.
My son is 13 and doesn't exercise much. On the rare occasion we've been out walking round our village (mainly during the earlier lockdown although we used to do before then), I've found it a really good time to talk. Not something that happens that often as he always has headset on or earphones in 😬 quite often my very favourite part of the day.

I did couch to 5k with my 7 year old, she whinged a bit at first but soon got in to it and still wanted to come as like your dd she likes spending time with me, although we never quite finished so thinking to start again. It's a nice tome of year to be our walking but I'd give the wet and windy days a miss to keep the experience nice.

Yes her weight is fine. They eat well.

Couch to 5k...I hadn’t thought of that. I wonder if she would do that.

Also it's a great idea for her to come along on a scooter or a bike especially once you are ready to go a bit faster.

She might well love going on an adventure in the dark with you, with torches and warm clothes, etc!

Def go yourself and encourage your dd but I wouldn’t force her if she is not keen.

Perhaps encourage her to take up another kind of exercise though which she can enjoy with kids her own age? My 6 yo is enjoying a tennis club.

My kids love a night time walk much more than a day time walk- they find it much more exciting( especially when it’s wet and rainy) you can only try and see how it goes. If your planning a long walk take a scooter so it’s less tiring and maybe build up on how far you go

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 think I might take her on short, slow walks some nights but do my own longer, faster-paced ones other nights.

I would, I do similar with my DD, she scoots and I walk fast. Evening in the evenings, it's cold yes but it's fine as long as it's dry, I don't do it in the rain.

Couple it up with seeing the Christmas lights.

I think it's a good idea.

I have a six year old and we went on evening walks all through lockdown and the first couple of months back at school. She enjoyed the exercise and the walks would have a fair bit of running too! But now she doesn't like the cold, wet and windy weather, so we have largely abandoned them until the spring and dance around on the wii or something instead. Personally I don't mind as I have a treadmill in the garage, and she's getting enough exercise from various sports clubs anyway. But she would walk miles before and it was great to have time together without other distractions.

I used to love going for an evening walk when I was younger. Especially in the dark. It's a lovely thing to do...made the dark nights more enjoyable and it's extra nice getting into the warm after. I think it's a great idea OP.

Mad replies on here. Yes take her for your walk, but to get the most out of it yourself maybe drop her back.
You can make a bit of fun out of it - looking at Christmas decorations, playing games counting certain coloured cars etc. It’s a perfectly usual thing to do.

I think I might take her on short, slow walks some nights but do my own longer, faster-paced ones other nights.

This seems like a good way to go.

I've been doing daily-ish walks since the first lockdown and really enjoy them. It's less appealing since it got cold and dark in the evenings, but I still go about half the time.

My kids (6 and 9) often ask to come with me. The little one has a FOMO, and the older one likes the me-and-her time to talk. But on the odd occasion I've insisted they come (right back at the start of the first lockdown, I wanted to get them out of the house for a bit), it was less successful - moans about how tired they were and how they needed a drink/the loo/a coat/some shade!

The only way is to try it and see. Encourage them the first few times. Then model the daily exercise and see if they want to join you sometimes.

@AddisonM

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 think I might take her on short, slow walks some nights but do my own longer, faster-paced ones other nights.

So it's ok for her to be inconvenienced for your needs ,but not ok for you to "lug" her scooter once she gets tired?

I still don't understand why she has to come at all.

Can't see why you can't do it

My 4 and 6 year old go to running club at 5pm in pitch dark in all weathers

They run between 3-5k

No reason why she can't walk for 1 hour after school in fact it will do her good

Go for it

Give it a go, if she hates it plan to go alone in future. I grew up going for long walks with my dad and we continued it well into my adulthood. It was something we both enjoyed.

Wrap her up warm, it'll be fine.
Whether or not you'll walk far or fast enough to bring the health benefits to you that your aiming for is doubtful, but it wont do you or her any harm.

Oh dry up. She doesn’t “have” to do anything 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m not planning on taking her kicking and screaming.

Agree with the first response. Definitely the best time to do it is now, wrapped up warm maybe with a pair of comfy wellies and look at the Christmas lights as you walk. Mine love an evening walk with the dog at this time of year :)

(That was for AccidentallyonPurpose)

I did this my son at about the same age when he had terrible problems settling to sleep. It was lovely one to one time. wrap up warm and don't push her to walk too far or too fast.

Of course it’s fine! Why on Earth wouldn’t it be?? People do have some ideas (not you, OP).

It’s a great habit to get into for various reasons, and she’ll probably appreciate the one-on-one time with you.

I’d say definitely go for it!👍👍