To let 1 year old dc play in our garden?

[Llamadramass]

DC 1 is the most outdoorsy kid I have had! Moment he comes downstairs he’s waiting by the back door to go out.

Hes happy just playing in the garden plodding about. We don’t have the best garden (new build) it’s big but very muddy lots of dead grass.

DH keeps having a go at me because he’s getting dirty. But what the hell am I supposed to do? Keep stopping him?

i don’t see the issue he’s having a good time, when he comes in I can give him a quick wash and freshen up.

AIBU? I love watching him play and be happy and free!

Your DH approach isn’t good for a 1 year old every day. Park once a week is nothing. They should be their daily if doing nothing else. Watching tv all day isn’t what a baby/toddler needs to develop. It also sounds like your DC is happy pottering in garden themselves so your DH could easily let him so that and sit watching him. He just doesn’t want the work involved in the cleaning up after. He’s lazy and it’s unfair on your DC.

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I think you’ve got a major DP problem here.

Does he know any other parents? Nicest possible way it doesn’t sound like he knows much on child development?

can you get some outdoor toys (always loads going on FB/carboot) to show DP that children being outside is perfectly normal.

is there any forest school/activities you could sign DS up to?

That's really sad, I'd genuinely be considering alternative arrangements for him. Being outside is healthy and great for their development and being muddy is fine. If he has an issue with the latter he needs to work to address it, its not fair on your child.

God this is the best thing about this time of year. Kitchen door open, kids outside! My 11mo and 4yo were out in our garden almost all afternoon yesterday. Yes they got filthy, no it didn't matter.

Even if your DH doesn’t want dc to get mucky there’s no reason for her to be inside in front of the tv for most of the day. Almost anything they could do is better than that.

My mum was very into keeping us clean as children and it had quite a long term affect on me and I’ve had to unlearn the aversion to mud, stickiness etc.

My DC go to a forest school nursery. They’re outside 5-6 hours per day and come back filthy. 1 year old was plastered with a mixture of clay, sand and mud the other day. I thought it was a bit hippyish when I signed them up but it’s been brilliant for them and I’m a total convert and have them outside as much as possible when I have them now.

Good for their development and good for their immune system.

Absolutely! I’m not saying never never put tv on but outdoors sensory play is way better for development.

Unfortunately part of caring for children is organising and letting them do activities which are good for their development but make mess and then cleaning up after them. If I sat my children in front of the TV and spoon-fed them their meals, I'd have a much cleaner house but they'd probably be behind in their development. Ask him which is more important.

And obviously no good in this heat, but for autumn/spring/summer, is he not acquainted with the ubiquitous puddlesuit, much beloved of Covid times? That's most people's solution to keeping their small children from getting filthy and wet outside.

Are the other children his? Does he not take him anywhere outside even in a pushchair so gets socialisation?

What do you do on your days off?

Personally Id dig up a little section and add a hose to make it nice and sloppy and give DC some wooden spoons, old saucepans etc from a charity shop and make a mud kitchen. - suspect that won't go down well though.

Or add a normal water play table if he doesn't have one. ELC used to do a nice sand/water one that all the toddlers I knew had when DD was small.

Fill a plastic box (with lid) up with water and put DC in it before they come in the house for a quick outside bath.

No, generally children should be outside as much as possible. Admittedly this morning, my DD ( who is older but lives the garden) went outside and came in 5 minutes later complaining that it's far too hot, so if your in southern England and have a garden like ours with no shade maybe not today, but generally yes. One was about the age mine wanted more than toys in the living room.

Ii work in early years and some days the children go home so mucky from playing in the garden, some parents are not happy with how dirty they get and others think it’s great that they have so many activities outdoors to keep them busy, stimulated and focussed while learning through play.

it’s a shame your little one is missing out due to your oh not liking them get dirty.