Bad weather only really matters when you have children

[Welcometotheterrorzone]

This might be a bit of a 'well duh' thread but...
Since when did so much of my happiness depend on the weather?
Child free friends still seem to have amazing weekends and holidays despite it pissing down all week. 'Let's just go to the pub or musuem or stay in and watch interesting box sets' all of which are denied to parents of small children.
Now my life seems to revolve around 'please don't rain' 'did I just feel a spot' and 'we've paid £1,700 for this cottage and we are going to the beach, kids, get your waterproof trousers on!'
I mean, I chose this life, but I never expected to have to spend half my life in a car 'waiting for it to ease up a little?'

Can't you go to the pub for a meal, the museum for a day or have a movie film day with small children?!

how old are your kids?

@Excelthetube

What a weird comment. If you can’t take a child to a museum or some sort of indoor activity and you need to run them ragged all the time then you’re probably not doing parenting all that well.

Most children can happily do something indoors if NT. if they don’t have an ounce of patience that’s poor parenting

Right. That's why soft plays are rammed on wet days. Because nobody knows how to teach patience and sitting quietly doing crafty things to 2yos like they used to. Sure.

@PlanDeRaccordement

I disagree. Whenever it rained on holiday in a cottage we would have a day in with Arts and crafts Board games Children’s films Reading stories Baking

As well as going out in rain itself.
You are only limited by your imagination.

Yep, my 17 month old is fucking ace at watercolours. He has outstanding Monopoly strategy, has memorised the dialogue to “Peter Rabbit 2”, often treats me to a chapter of Harry Potter and whips up a mean crispy cake.

In this reality, he shouts “More! More!” and points at my cappuccino while escaping from the straps on his highchair in any public cafe and is only happy when slamming the gate to the toddler playground open and closed until he traps his fingers.

Yesterday the steps on the toddler slide were so rainy that his wellies slipped and he had to be physically manhandled screaming and dripping back home before he knocked his baby teeth out (screaming “More! More!” and pointing at the slide). We were of course the only ones in the playground in a monsoon.

I hadn't thought of this, but I do get what you're saying.

Mine are 6 and 3 and rain isn't so bad now really. I think covid made me much more worried about crap weather as there were so many times we couldn't go anywhere indoors! I'm fine with soft play, (I do not go in now they're older, as I can see them from my table). We do crafts or cooking quite a lot, which are obviously indoor activities. Invite a friend over for a playdate. Walks in wooded areas are also ok in light rain as it doesn't get through the leaves! So we do that and feed the ducks too. There's always swimming too or other indoor sporty things.

I think it was worse when they were a bit younger, as they needed to burn off energy and I couldn't just let them run round soft play or a park, (we still go to the park if there's a bit of rain - they're always deserted when it's raining, which is a bonus).

@Welcometotheterrorzone

This might be a bit of a 'well duh' thread but... Since when did so much of my happiness depend on the weather? Child free friends still seem to have amazing weekends and holidays despite it pissing down all week. 'Let's just go to the pub or musuem or stay in and watch interesting box sets' all of which are denied to parents of small children. Now my life seems to revolve around 'please don't rain' 'did I just feel a spot' and 'we've paid £1,700 for this cottage and we are going to the beach, kids, get your waterproof trousers on!' I mean, I chose this life, but I never expected to have to spend half my life in a car 'waiting for it to ease up a little?'

I've never really understood deciding that having small children means you can't enjoy things.

We have kids and "go to the pub/cafe/lunch" when it rains, or to the museum, or we stay in and find something good to watch. Or we go out. I guess we just do what we enjoy.

Life's as dull or as exciting as you make it.

@BuffySummersReportingforSanity

Can't you go to the pub for a meal, the museum for a day or have a movie film day with small children?!

Museum, yes, but as to the others, have you ever actually tried it?!

Small children go feral if not exercised outdoors. No you can't just "stay in and have a movie day". They're screaming and literally ricocheting off the walls.

... think there's something a bit wrong with your kids, Buff.

That is only true if you are outdoorsy types. Plenty of parents and their kids prefer spending their days going to museums or staying home and playing games or doing art projects. I’ve never understood this compulsion that having a child means you must trudge around outdoors all day.

This is so age dependant. My toddlers are hellish if trapped indoors. I imagine if they were 6/7 it would be fine

.. think there's something a bit wrong with your kids, Buff

No, they're just kids. The oldest has already mostly grown out of it. But they are high energy and need space and activity. They also enjoy indoor quieter activities. Just not all day.

Weather is a fact of life - you can't "hide" from it. Get your kids used to it and to enjoy all aspects- sun, warm, rainly, stormy etc.!

Sorry, I’m nearing the end of my seventh decade and the weather completely dictates my mood. By the time we’ve had four endless months of grey, wet, cold, miserable weather in February I’m fit to slit my throat. I need sunshine.

Yes! Rain ruins so much.

What makes it worse is that lots of activities and days out need to be booked in advance now so you don't know what the weather will be like. We went out for the day yesterday, something that is pretty much all outdoors. Forecast was fine 2 weeks ago when we booked, in the end it actually rained for a while but thankfully as it was warm we dried off quickly. It could have ended up pouring with rain all day which would've ruined a very expensive day out!

If your kids are “ricocheting” off the walls from one day indoors and all holidays are ruined if there is rain then yes. It’s down to shit parenting impo

@Driftingblue

That is only true if you are outdoorsy types. Plenty of parents and their kids prefer spending their days going to museums or staying home and playing games or doing art projects. I’ve never understood this compulsion that having a child means you must trudge around outdoors all day.

Trust me it's honestly got absolutely nothing to do with whether you are outdoorsy. I don't mind being outside but it's not an activity I would choose to do if I didn't have to because my small child absolutely needs to be outside as much as possible (except in the rain).

He doesn't like staying inside for long even with a large assortment of activities and toys.He physically needs to be outside, that's his personality and its got nothing to do with my own hobbies or interests.

Agreed- there are many things to do with kids inside but guess what every other fucker will be there with their kids too!

I really really don’t get the MN love for museums. They’re so boring (or maybe it’s still a hangover from boring museum trips as a child)

YANNNNNNNBU.

And yes I know it’s possible to be the smiley perfect children’s TV presenter parent and do crafts/baking/den building type activities. But it’s bloody hard work compared to taking a flask of coffee to a playground, a walk or bike ride which I also enjoy, a picnic, a beach trip… any outdoor activity leaves the children tired and happy and content to go and play quietly for a bit/watch a bit of tv and then have tea and sleep well. Keep them indoors all day and the house is messier, they’re frustrated and grumpy and under-exercised, and I’m emotionally worn out by the end of it. Yes it’s possible but as more than a one off it’s not fun.

Oh and “go out anyway”… yeah yeah, puddle jumping and rainy woodlands, no wrong weather only wrong clothing…. Maybe as a one-off but as a regular thing, anyone who thinks that’s as good is kidding themselves. I love soggy sandwiches, the rustle and sweat of waterproof clothes, and having a load of dripping wet stuff to sort out on the return home

You obviously don't have a job that depends on the weather!

Sensory processing disorder rules my existence cant go to loud places windy places places we will encounter people (thanks covid could have gone a fucking lifetime without creating more anxiety in him)

This was not discussed with me before I had children

Can't you go to the pub for a meal, the museum for a day or have a movie film day with small children?!

not relaxing though

@AllotmentTime
Exactly it’s hard work doing other things
That’s parenting surely.
Just sending them out to tire them so they don’t annoy you and you can sit and have a coffee in the sunshine isn’t really parenting

If you can’t take a child to a museum or some sort of indoor activity and you need to run them ragged all the time then you’re probably not doing parenting all that well.

🤔

Really? Taking my children to the beach/on a bike ride/to a playground isn’t parenting?

Overplayed your “goady fucker” hand there I feel, rather too obvious

Can't you go to the pub for a meal, the museum for a day or have a movie film day with small children?! confused

For the day?!

Movie day with a 3 year old?! She can't even manage those half hour BBC Julia Donaldson adaptations. There's a reason pre-school programmes like Sarah & Duck are 6 minutes long. And baking? That's an hour of the day max, what about the rest? Yes we go out in the rain but let's not pretend it's not shite.