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?

I leave the car on the drive & walk DD (5) to school everyday with DS (5 months) in the pram, up a very steep hill, in all weathers. I am so much fitter for it & it sets my day up nicely; rain or shine. I feel lost when DH takes her as I’ve lost my daily morning walk.

you are not BU. I would respond with a thank you for the offer but no need, we prefer to wrap up warm & walk. Everytime.

Our DCs nursery has the kids outside every day, under cover if it's raining. Fresh air is a good thing.

Do avoid the traffic fumes if you can, terribly bad for little lungs.

there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes!

My nearly 2y/o dgc will be starting nursery soon, and during the visit this is exactly what was said. All the children have at least one outside play time every day, regardless of the weather (thunderstorms and extreme heat being the only exceptions).

Keep doing what you're doing and ignore your mil, it's none of her business!

Why would they be ill? More likely to get ill sitting indoors with the central heating on! Colds aren’t caused by cold weather, they are caused by germs. You carry on doing what you know is best. I really don’t understand why children aren’t allowed to play in the garden if it’s cold even though they want to. It’s fresh air

Buy a sledge and hope it snows. Then sit them on it and pull them to school - they'll love it. MIL being ridiculous.

As long as both children are properly wrapped up, there's nothing wrong with what you are doing. My dm had to walk everywhere with us in the 70s as she didn't have a car.

I was raised in Germany and I walked to the bus even if it was snowing or very wet. When the snow was so bad the buses stopped my DF pulled me on a sledge (I was small when he did this). We just got on with it.

I walked my DS in any type of weather and it was 20 minutes. He played outside at school and at home. We went to the park, visited friends on foot. I remember walking to a friend's on Boxing Day and it took hours because it had been and was snowing. It was all part of the fun and we weren't in a rush.

If your MIL wants to be useful and helpful she could come along!

At 12 months they are still babies FGS. A good many still won’t be walking, so how can they be ‘toddlers’? The clue is in the name - toddlers ‘toddle’!

My granddaughter attended an outdoor nursery in Canada. They were only forced inside when the temperature dropped below -25C……no one suffered or complained

YANBU. Your MIL is being idiotic.

It’s very old fashioned to think that being out in cold weather is going to make you ill, though perhaps it was more understandable when a lot of houses were very cold in winter, too.

A Swedish friend told me that it’s normal for children at school or daycare there, to play out whatever the weather, but of course they’ll be appropriately dressed - and it is often a lot colder there than in U.K. winters - except perhaps for the N of Scotland.

I get where you’re coming from as I enjoy the walk to school- I feel like it sets me up for the day ahead. But… I wouldn’t be quite so quick to reject your MIl’s lifts. There will be times when a 40 minute walk with a 3 year old would be pretty shit (torrential rain, sickness etc) so I would try and say that the cold is manageable and the kids are enjoying the ice but you’ll keep her offer in mind for other times when a lift would be handy.

Just ignore her.
I took my toddlers aroumd at that age in the rain at 1°c and both survived.
UK is really NOT cold compared tho the rest of the Europe.
Your MIL got her idiotic agenda.

I admire you for doing it! Fresh air and daylight every morning plus exercise and time with mum in the outdoors - you’re ticking every parenting box. I’m feeling guilty reading this because our nursery is only 5 mins walk away! Also our nursery often has the kids outdoors pretty much all day despite the weather. If they’ve got the right clothes then it’s totally fine.

I see your point about cities. However, lots of us live rurally with zero public transport, and are totally reliant on cars.

I'm a community care worker in the Yorkshire Dales, and cover over 100 miles daily.
Without private cars, domiciliary care in rural areas couldn't happen.

I'm fairly certain private cars aren't going to die out anytime soon.

Tell her you're building up their immune systems

Does MIL not know about the "obesity epidemic" ?

You're keeping your DC healthy.

unless they have a cold / illness then its absolutely fine.

My mum used to put me out in my pram warmly wrapped up in the snow. Somehow I survived. My son went to a childminder from 9 months and I didn't drive so whatever the weather he was out in it. The only exception was when the snow was deeper than the buggy wheels, that was a challenge. 😂

Nah she just wants you to drive so she can say you're lazy and unhealthy. Tell her to pound sand.

Very strange of your mil, unless she's from a warmer country. All fresh air is good as long as the child is warm enough - if it's below freezing then put a rain cover on for babies to warm their air up a bit.
I can't imagine how mind numbing your conversations must be to be discussing the daily commute, but maybe just nod that you go in the car if asked. Unless you are making MIL trudge in minus 20, then it doesn't affect her.

i was talking about cities only

If they were going in summer clothes and flip flops then maybe your mil has a point. But honestly taking children for a walk outside, wrapped up warm is good for them. The walk is much more likely to make them fit and healthy and wakes their mind for the day ahead!
Walk mum walk!

Tell her to mind her own business. She would be complaining if you kept them in all the time. You are doing a great job and doing exactly right. Anyway what right has she to criticise what you are doing?
(An MIL speaking here btw)

What the fuck does she think people without a car do?? 😂 She’d be fainting if she was my MIL as I don’t drive and walk them everywhere!