Do you get your children out in the fresh air every day?

[Daimari]

I do try but it’s raining pretty relentlessly here (12 months so not able to walk confidently yet.)

Probably a daft thread but I always think it seems to impact sleep!

No, mine prefer staying in.

We've got them out as much as possible. At a young age, it was kite about me having full waterproofs in the rain. Even jumping in puddles for a little bit will be fun and they can go back in the buggy afterwards

Yes - but on rainy days that might just be walking (we don't have a car) to the local soft play

Yes, I get out every day and love it. But we are rural and don’t have a wealth of indoor options.

Yes when primary age, now they are much more discerning unless it's football, and then they love the rain.

Yes. These days he’s nine and we live somewhere with a lot of rain, but when he was a toddler, I spent a LOT of time taking two hours to walk the length of the village street, pausing at every puddle. I got kind of Zen about it in the end. These we do the school run of just over a mile on foot daily so there’s always that as a minimum, even on days when he doesn’t do a sport or go to the park with friends.

Yes definitely. It’s no good for their mood / sleep to stay inside all day.

Yes unless the weather is horrendous or we are ill. Mine is also 1 year old and can't walk yet but we go out at least once a day. Does us both good to be out of the house!

Yes I always did until they were teenagers, then it was more of a struggle. Twelve months is a great age to get fully togged up in a splash suit and wellies and explore some puddles.

Yes, my goal is to not only go outside but to let him play daily at the playground nearby.
So far we manage this pretty well, exceptions are sometimes when the weather is really bad or when I have too much period pain to go outside in which case usually DH steps in and takes him to the park after work.

I did when younger yes, no matter what the weather, we wrapped up and went for a walk/the park. They’d be bouncing off the walls and behaviour would be impacted if not. I’m a big believer in getting out each day for everyone though. For me I get headachey, restless and irritable if I don’t. I can’t make my teens go now but I notice definite bad tempered-ness when they haven’t and I tell them that staring at screen and the same four walls for 24 hours plus is why they feel crap. They know it’s true and I notice more and more they’ll ask when I am taking the dog out and come along because they know they’ll feel better after.

I try my best with a baby and a preschooler. Today it might just be trampoline time when the rain stops, but we have been out in the rain for the past two days.

My lad is only young but he has a lot of energy to burn off and his behaviour is better when we are out and about and he has changing scenery to entertain him. If he is cooped up all day we both suffer!

It was difficult when he was 12 months and not walking in the middle of winter though. Walks in the pram are great for a bit of vitamin D and fresh air but it doesn't provide much physical exercise. He did get a smart trike around that age and that probably works their core a bit to sit in it. We spent a lot of time in soft play for proper exercise and climbed stairs at home and played with balls and balloons.

In addition I listen to my neighbours with three young children who rarely go out unless shopping, everyone is constantly shouting at each other. I can’t help but think of they just worked an hours park time into their day everyone would feel better. They don’t have a garden either so it’s not like their children are getting outside at all.

The problem is it’s not really being ‘out’ if the raincover is on the pram. Not confident enough on feet to wear wellies either.

Yes generally. Ds is 1 year.
Both i and he would be bored otherwise and he gets restless.
If it’s pouring with rain, ‘out’ might just be a drive to supermarket or similar. Or I try and sneak in a quick walk in pram in between showers.
He’s walking, so happy to play in garden or walk after the rain still

Can you go swimming?

Yes unless we are ill or the weather is really horrendous. I know people talk about having cosy indoor days with films and blankets but I find my children become hyper and misbehave if they have stayed in all day and I end up getting stressed and shouty.

I have a 7 year old and we do have days in but when she was younger we were our every single day, more for my benefit than hers tbh I couldn't have sat in all day with a young toddler.

I still count it as being out if the raincover is on. He's seeing different things and will be getting fresh air underneath it. I give him tons of exercise time at home, he only stops when he is eating or sleeping!

If you don't like the rain cover then consider a smart trike and waterproof snow suit. You can even get waterproof bootee type things and gloves. My son loved riding in his. There's usually a break in the rain at some point anyway and a walk down to the shop or post box or around the block is exciting enough for a 1 year old.

No, don’t beat yourself up about it. I don’t. If it’s bad weather we don’t force everyone to go for a walk. It doesn’t automatically make kids badly behaved!

@Daimari

The problem is it’s not really being ‘out’ if the raincover is on the pram. Not confident enough on feet to wear wellies either.

I think it is though. It’s still fresh air and a change of scene, stuff for him to look at, small interactions with other people if you go to a shop or something. It gets your brain working differently than if you’d stayed in and not changed anything.

Have you got a garden? Maybe you can make a space safe for him to play and explore out there? As soon as he is cold you can get him straight back into the warmth.

And agree that a trike with a handle is handy when they can’t walk really yet. We use a lot when I want to do a quick 20 min walk for a change of scenery but don’t want him to nap ( which he will do in pram)

I did until they were teenagers. Now they won't move for love nor money.