DH running with dd(8) at 5am

[foreveror]

Dh has always got up everyday at 5am to go for a run. No problem, it briefly wakes me up but he doesn’t turn the light on or make noise so I fall straight back to sleep.

Last couple of weeks he’s started taking 8 year old dd with him and it’s annoying me so much.

He tries to keep her quiet and get her down the stairs and out the door without waking anyone but it’s just so much louder having an 8 year old up and awake. Younger dc are sometimes waking up and coming into me.

I also feel I can’t fall back to sleep knowing she’s out there in the dark which I know is very silly, I don’t worry about her when she’s out with him in the day but it just feels different knowing she’s not in bed.

She’s very slim and does dance, gymnastics, football and skating every week so definitely doesn’t need the exercise. It’s just seems so unnecessary.

She tripped the other morning and came back in his arms in tears screaming she’d broke her ankle. She was fine, she’s just really dramatic but it made us all late for school. I know it wasn’t his fault but I couldn’t help feeling like it was as it wouldn’t have happened if he had just left her in bed.

I’m being completely unreasonable aren’t I? Would anyone else be annoyed by this?

That's not what it means.

It means to appeal to the largest number of people. It's not an insult.

The NHS is currently unable to get much right, except executive level pay of course

Perhaps they should because clearly the advice is better. But no, too many countries say one hour because they think that's more achievable.

Well literally, it doesn’t

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lowest common denominator
/ləʊɪst kɒmən dɪˈnɒmɪneɪtə/
noun
noun: lowest common denominator; plural noun: lowest common denominators

MATHEMATICS the lowest common multiple of the denominators of several vulgar fractions.

DEROGATORY Hide definition the level of the least discriminating audience or consumer group. "they were accused of pandering to the lowest common denominator of public taste"

And on the well-being side you would not be unfair to say she has to go to bed earlier by however much time she is losing in sleep in the morning. How much is that? It might make a difference to her decision.

Which means exactly what I said it did - to the least discriminating audience (ie, the broadest audience).

Actually think it’s too much exercise for an 8 year old. If she’s keen to go running with him, why don’t they start doing junior park run? It’s half the distance so ideal for her age and they can still bond. I just think running 15k a week is brilliant for a fully grown adult but too much exertion for an 8 year old child, especially since she does other sports too…

Eight years old?
Up at 5.00am?
Five kilometre run???????

Mental. Absolutely mental.

By watering down to the lowest common denominator it means the level of advice that is most likely to be followed by the most people, so it has to be easier even if its not as effective. Whereas the other way of giving advice is to tell people what they actually should do and even though you know not all will manage it you can hope more will try.

Quite - the steadfast defence of it by certain people is quite bonkers.

Why?

My concern would be the distance it too much for someone her age and that it will put her heart under a lot of strain. It’s great for an adult, too much for an 8 year old. Also would worry she’s losing out on sleep, unless she’s going to bed earlier to compensate. Halving the distance would be better.

As PP says, this is WAY too much for a child her age.
You could contact a running club with a junior section - they will have to conform to UK Athletics guidelines; they will be able to advise you.

I did a XC race today - the U11s (8-10) did 800m and the juniors (U16 I think) did 3K. And I froze my actual arse off running 8K in the snow

How is your DH getting his running fix and training in if he's taking your young DD?

Wouldn’t physically be able to get her in bed any earlier than 7.30. Once we’ve done after school activities, dinner, bath, homework, reading that’s just the time.

I know an increasing number of very sporty kids with injuries - very likely related to overdoing the number of hours of sports and exercise per week. It is a problem that is slowly being recognised and you should definitely take it seriously.

Not to say that the runs have to go. But maybe it needs to be once a week only.

Could it not be at 6.30/7 rather than 5am? Does DH go to work very early or something?

did you not notice that is the derogatory meaning?

She wants to go
and hats off to DH there no way he’ll be able to get a proper pacey run in with daughter in tow but he still takes her

I think the question was whether the child wakes up by herself or the father has to wake her up at that time.

Yep.

But in this context, lowest common denominator means the largest audience - as in, the advice has the appeal to the majority so they make it as easy to achieve as possible.

There is a reason junior Parkrun is only 2km. Your DD's growth plates are still in place and very easily damaged with excess exercise/inappropriate exercise. You and DH need to discuss this properly with the view of her health and development as priority.

Once a week, she could do 1.5km-2km with her dad, finished off with some really good stretching - that is more than plenty at her age with all the other exercise you mentioned she is doing.

Also, ensure she is eating enough!!

Then you have two options;

1. they’re quieter when they leave. Warn her that if she continues to wake people up, it’ll have to stop.

2. just tell them it’s not working as it’s waking people up and it’s stopping now.

My son is a similar age, I’m struggling to see how she copes with waking so early and then getting on with the rest of the day, how much sleep is she getting? Kids need a lot of sleep.

Guidelines are that 9-11 year olds can do 5k - she’s 8 so only a few months off that age.

Dropping it to alternate days seems more reasonable than making her stop altogether.

@foreveror does she have any downtime?

Max distance of 5K for 9-11 year old. It sounds like OP's DD is doing WAY more than that.

That is too much for a child of that age.
As wonderful as it is to have a sporty athletic child, their bodies need to grow, bones develop etc.