How often do you take DC out?

[YouCantCallMeBetty]

My friend has one DS aged nearly 2. She is giving herself a hard time about not doing enough with him during the week and 'just' being at home playing with him.
I've tried telling her that's a lovely thing to do but she doesn't believe me and says everyone else is always out doing loads.
I thought if I posted on here I could show her the replies and it might help (I promise I'm not a Daily Fail journo!).
Do you all take your DCs out every day?

I do, but not necessarily to child activities - often it's just the post office, or the supermarket or similar. I try and do a few child focused things each week though (playgroup, swimming, playground) and I play with dd at home, too.

Mine are 1 & 2 years old.

We go soft play, music time at the library and swimming weekly. We also go out for lunch with mil once a week. Now and then we do a trip to the zoo/farm etc. The rest of the time they play at home with toys, we do painting or baking or my friend brings her dc over for play dates.

Little children derive enjoyment from all sorts of everyday activities - they just want to be talked to and played with. They don't care if this happens at the park or in the garden at home. Mine used to enjoy posting the letters, or weighing the fruit at the supermarket. Normal things were an opportunity for them to have fun.
Tell your friend not to worry. Her child will be fine so long as she is interacting with him.

Encourage her to get out for her own mental health, it's important she sees people and gets fresh air.

With my first he never got any baby type activities till he started nursery at 10 months it was all just playing with me, going Asda shopping etc although I did try and get out every day with the buggy or I would have gone mad! I was too scared to go to a lot of groups and really skint for things like soft play and he turned out great.

Me and ds (who is 2 and a half) are out most days and have been since he was 3 months old. We have an activity lined up every day although we don't always go to everything every week plus play dates and stuff at the weekend.

I think it's purely personal choice. He's now at a 2's group 3 hours a week (precursor to pre-school) and there are children who like him have been out most days and there are children who mostly stayed at home and without their Mum's telling you, you wouldn't know who is who.

For me it was postnatal depression and anxiety which when DH went back to work had me terrified that some awful would happen and if I was at home alone, I wouldn't be able to cope. I started going to everything our local community had to offer and whilst I do feel marginally better about my ability to cope, I started to enjoy the stuff we do and just carried on. Ds also enjoys being outside and now will throw your shoes at you if he feels he's been inside too long so going out is the easier option for us.

Thanks everyone! I like your DS's shoe throwing strategy Dino

The days I was home with my dd when she was that age, yes, we did go out nearly every day. It's mostly because I can't stand being stuck at home and I find it boring. It really wasn't necessarily for her benefit. But I work from home several days a week, so if I didn't go out the days I had off with her, I would literally not leave the house from Sunday night until Saturday morning. I would go bonkers.

But we almost never did like 'activities' on those days we went out. I have friends who are home with their toddlers and every single day they go out and do some paid class or toddler group or they go to soft play or they go to a children's farm or some other event or activity that they pay an entrance fee for. We almost never did that. We had a few places that we had an annual pass to and we went to those a couple times a month maybe. Otherwise, we went to the park/playground, took a walk, went to the beach, went out for coffee, did errands, weekly shopping, so we left the house and did things but it wasn't like a planned activity aimed just at entertaining my dd. It was just stuff I needed to do anyway usually.

I went out every day when my kids were pre-school age - mainly for my sake! Fresh air - to the park, walk to the shops, go on the beach, the woods, swimming, go and see a friend. I still couldn't bear to be in a house all day every day - definitely not good for your mental health (or mine anyway).

However those trips could be short and simple, don't have to cost anything - although when mine were younger there were a lot of free structured activities too (through surestart) not sure there are so many now. Still think it is a good idea to get out, but doesn't have to be a big deal or a 'day out'.

I take DS out twice a day but only because he is a nightmare at home and a dream outside. Would love to be able to spend time just playing quietly with him at home. I think it's good to have a balance overall :)

We go out pretty much every day but mainly just to local parks as money is tight

Agree with PP, I need to get out but we go to Morrisons, a walk up the high street, the park, my mum's. I love play dates at other people's houses (or mine) as get interaction but a bit different to usual. Sometimes we go crazy and buy a biscuit in Morrisons cafe - now that is a day out! seriously, as PP have said everything / anything is interesting to a toddler and if you're an 'in' person, I say stay in and build dens; play Lego, colour in, look for sticks / lions in the garden. Go with your own flow I say!

I went out woth my children every morning. Lunch. They napped in the afternoon. I think it is crucial to get out.

I used to do loads before we moved to sonewhete with a garden and she started school.

Literally we'd go to the park, toddler groups, soft play etc daily. Not enough now

yes everyday. mine don't sleep well unless they have been out that day. and they make way too much mess if we stay at home all day.

We go out most days, playgroups 4 mornings a week and the remaining day we do a potter round the garden centre or go to the shops or run some errands. Only because it's easier - if we stay in he won't nap and trashes the house! He's 14 months now. Before the summer holidays the school run was usually enough to tire him out and he'd nap straight after that so we hardly ever went anywhere unless I actually needed to. I miss those days!

Every day when I am not at work, often to just the park, or to feed the ducks, swimming or Grandparents house, or to Morrisons so she can go in the trolley car. We go out 9 to 11 and then home for lunch and nap time. The afternoon is short but we often potter in the yard or go out on her trike.

We would both go insane in the house all day.

I've got 3 so I'm out anyway for school run but even with a 2 year old and a newborn I'm out every single day I would be seriously depressed if I was at home every day, plus I have a dog that needs walking.
It's not a prob if she's happy with that though and as long as she's doing a variety of activities and interacting than it's fine.

I tend to have my brothers 2.5yr old twins a couple of mornings a week, last week one morning was the post office and shops, another we got on the bus ( I have weekly pass for work with unlimited travel), went round a couple of routes all the way round cos the love being on the bus looking out the window, pointing out different vehicles like cars , tractor, "nee-naws" etc, next week been requested to go on a "big boy bus"(double decker!) , doesn't have to be long trips or a panic of "oh my god this has to be amazingly fun or the children will hate me", little diverting trips like that seem to go down well , often go and sit in train station with a snack and watch the trains ( very exciting when they emerge from the tunnels!!" and they love getting a wave off the drivers!
Hope this helps !

We go out loads. They piss me off too much inside!

Oh yes and I'll echo feeding the ducks as well.
Also got a cafe nearby with animal enclosure attached, £1.75 for a coffee for me and take snacks for the little ones and it adds up to a cheap full morning out

We went out every day mostly for my sanity more than anything else! But that meant a couple of groups, park, shopping etc not just hold stuff that would have sent me equally batty.

I go out most days as otherwise I get bored and we are in a flat with no garden. DD gets a bit cooped up too. 'Out' often means the park opposite, the shop to buy food. Young children like routine and familiarity. They also benefit from playing at home, learning how to amuse themselves.

I have 5 DDs. 2 in infants at school, 1 at nursery and 2 at home. I still do the same things with DD5 as I did with DD1. Usually an organised group/activity/play date a few mornings a week, around 2 day 'trips' each week (zoo/farm/museum etc) and the rest of the time it's the usual library/park/local shops/garden centre/soft play/walks/out for lunch/coffee/visit GPs/playing and activities at home or in garden. Now I have to fit in school and nursery pick ups too .

No, I don't take dd age 2 out everyday.

3 days a week she's in nursery while I'm at work.
1 day we mostly stay in, playing in between blasts of housework. Occasionally we'll stop at the park on the way to or from the supermarket if the weather is ok.
1 day I try to get to Rhyme Time at the library but don't always manage it. The bridge set of the day is mostly at home.

The weekend my dh usually takes her out on Saturday for quality daddy time. Depending on the weather we may or may not go out on Sunday.

It's variable!

Yesterday we caught the bus to the shop because she's never been on one and asked.

Sometimes just pedalling her trike up to the post box is fun for her.

Or going outside the house in wellies to splash.

We very, very rarely go on proper "days out" to places that cost money.