To walk to nursery with two toddlers in the cold?

[Chillyoutthere]

I like to walk to pre-school/nursery with my 3 and 1 year old children whenever possible. I enjoy it, I think they enjoy it, and I believe it’s better for us all to be outdoors instead of in a car.

The walk is about 25 minutes to pre-school, and then a further 15 minutes to nursery with a buggy and buggy board. Sometimes my husband will take one child and I’ll take the other (older one scoots in this scenario), which makes each journey about 20-25 minutes. Traffic is awful so it’s only about 5 minutes quicker in the car.

Obviously, it’s getting colder, which is leading lots of input from my MIL regarding our commute. She feels very strongly that it’s bad for kids to be outside in the cold (1C this morning). I am being told / texted multiple times a day that they will get ill, this is bad parenting and that I am selfish.

I disagree. I was brought up to believe that there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes! Both kids were both wearing hats, gloves and snowsuits this morning.

So, dare I ask… AIBU?

As long as everyone is super cosy dressed she is being ridiculous and insulting you to get her point across is overbearing. My DS goes to an outside nursery in the north of Scotland. The kids all have wool base layers and really cosy suits on and wool balaclavas. He hasn't had so much as a cold so far.

It's much colder to go by car because it takes ten minutes for the car to warm up and you aren't moving. I hate short car journeys in winter for this reason. By active transport you're always warm. I would use a thick sleeping bag type thing in the pram for the younger child.

She's being ridiculous, surely they'll be playing outside at nursery anyway?

Walking is so much healthier than driving for most children, even in cold weather.

What does she think happens to children when it snows? She must know they all rush out to build snow men and have snowball fights as soon as there's a good covering.

I'm baffled by the 3% who think you're being unreasonable when you're being very, very reasonable. I walked to school for years in a very cold country and it was never a problem at all.

Obviously not the point of the thread, but why would private cars not be available to the general public in 50 years' time?

I send my son to a nursery that keeps the kids outdoors in 90% of the weather, all day every day. I think they'll survive (and thrive) in having a decent walk to and from school/nursery whilst warmly dressed.

I think this is strange. How old is MIL? Surely when she was a child it would have been quite normal to walk just about everywhere is all weathers? I am a GM and my DM never learned to drive and we didn't have a car when I was a small child - everyone walked. We all survived.

OK just seen that MIL comes from a country where they don't do cold weather. That might explain it then!

As long as they’re wrapped up warm, they’ll be fine. Walking is better for overall health and the planet, plus your children will be used to walking distances so it will be beneficial in the long run. It also gives more opportunities for exploring and talking.

I’d take some cute photos of you all bundled up together on the journey and send them to your MIL.

ha ha - I have a Swedish friend who was horrified when touring a nursery in Italy when they proudly informed her that the children do not go outside at all when it is "cold" which apparently meant temperatures colder than +15C!

My kids attended nursery in Sweden when they were out in all weathers for several hours a day - even in the minus 20sC.

Oh I've no idea it was mostly a flippant comment, but what with the pollution and space taken up by cars it wouldn't surprise me. Sorry I should have thought my post though more carefully!

I live in Denmark, she would probably need resuscitation from shock if she saw kids here tbh. Danish law technically not actual law 😂 says there’s no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing.

Last week we walked 25 minutes to nursery in the snow whilst it blew a gale, passed by many many children on their parents bikes/ in a Christiana bike or on their own bike, we came home in similar weather after 20m in the park before it got dark at bastard 3pm

Everyone was wrapped up warm, the movement kept us warm and it was absolutely no problem at all. Baby took a nap in the pram outside on the balcony and was toasty warm because she wore appropriate clothing!

I wouldn't call a 3-year-old a toddler but otherwise YANBU. When my DC were about that age we walked everywhere, with a single or double pushchair when needed, in all weathers.

Exactly the same in Sweden. The bike parking lot outside nursery was full of little bikes and Christiania bikes. Our little ones slept outside, very warm and nice.

It's the direction cities are going in. The future will see more car sharing/hiring schemes, similar to electric bike hiring schemes. Private car ownership is incredibly inefficient given they are unused most of the day

OP, my MIL was also from another culture and warmer climes, and also thought lots of my parenting was nuts. Luckily for me she lived in her home country, not here. However, when she commented on things like this, I'd just flatly tell her that here it's normal and that when you're born in a colder country, you don't notice the cold as much. It's not true, but somehow I managed to shut her up. Good luck, and I wish you many happy walks, chats, songs and games!
PS The few months I had to drive my kids to and from school when we moved house but not school immediately were among the most stressful of my life.

Lol it's usually the patent generation who encourage us to walk more. We don't live in Siberia, coat, hat, fresh cold air, pink cheeks, moving so get warm! Honestly what a snowflake attitude 🙄

Your DC has build up a strong immune system. 👏

Also what does she think people without cars do then?

Keep walking Op! It's a great start to the day. It's a great start to life to be used to walking and they'll carry on walking into adulthood! Should be keeping you all really healthy.

If it was stormy a blizzard then maybe a lift would be nice but otherwise crack on!

I always think it's the clothing that is wrong not the weather. If they are wrapped up and happy then it's up to you.

Keep walking. It's good for you all.

It's freezing. I'd def prefer being in the warmth of the car. In fact i warm up the car before my toddler gets in. Same when it's too hot. Although he goes to a forest school so he's probably outside all day anyway but I guess that's why I sent him there so I don't have to do it...

She has no choice but to accept your answer. I’d ignore any conversation about it! I’d open a message and leave it read. Not respond to anything at all about it. Just show that you are ignoring it!

Wonder how they cope in cold countries? You're mil is nuts.