Going outside...

I'm just curious.

I work a full time job, so when I get home I have to clean, study, relax and work on my web design projects and take care of/play with the kids.
So, there are times that I don't want to go outside so that I can try and catch up with cleaning. But then I also feel guilty because the kids want to constantly go outside. How do you balance things, so that your house doesn't start to smell, but yet your kids don't look so pale, they blend into the wall?

 

I have a fenced yard, so everyone except the baby (who is 1) can play outside by themselves. I have a big sliding glass door, so I can see them. It makes it easy.

 

We take 1 or 2 walks per day. If we only do 1 walk, we also play in the back yard. The winters are L O N G here in Toronto and there were many days when even the bravest of moms couldn't get out for a walk...so I really tend to take advantage of the mild weather when I can (like lately). Also, my kids get really grumpy when they're cooped up and so do I. Unfortunately, my house work suffers and I end up spending my evenings cleaning...but I just can't seem to do it all.

 

Here in New England, we never know when it's going to be nice again, so we take every opportunity to go out there. We had a recent string of nice weather so my house looked pretty bad, but I really didn't care because the girls needed it. We typically go out for a bit in the morning to walk and/or swing and in the afternoon we're out there for a good 2 hours sometimes.

 

We go out as much as possible now before it gets too hot here in FL to do anything outside for any length of time.

 

Hopefully, their daycare lets them out once or twice each day. Weather permitting, my boys' preschool lets them out to play for 20-30 minutes during the mornings (the kids that are there for the afternoon go out again after naps). I take them out to play whenever they want. It's not unusual for them to spend an hour or more playing on the driveway with their various vehicles (they have tricycles, bicycles, and pedal cars, nothing motorized). They like to go out in the rain, too, though they come back in pretty quickly. There have been some nice days when I can't get them out the door but I feel better when they've had some sunshine and exercise.

 

I do most of the housework/chores when they are napping or after they go to bed. I also sometimes take my laptop outside to dork around online. I don't know if that's an option for you with work? We've been outside pretty much every day that it's nice.

 

I too work full time and with fitting in home work etc our evenings can be challenging but I still try to get out as much as we can, not to mention that they want to be out. They constantly ask to be outside and even though they are older I don't allow them outside without an adult, since I am the only adult in the house the options are limited. I am not joking when I tell you I have been known to peel potatoes outside. I have also been known to make the most simplest of dinners on the beautiful evenings, yes even I enjoy chicken nuggets and french fries heeheee. All I have to do is turn on the oven then when it is heated I have them stand at the door while I throw the trays in the oven then they come in to help me get the food/plates together when everything is cooked and we go back out to eat. The nice weather is soo short for us that I do what we can to take the most advantage of it. Now that baseball season is here we will be outside anyway, which throws a whole different wrench into our evenings but baseball is sooo loved in our house I couldn't imagine not including it in our crazy lives!!

 

When it's nice, we get out in the morning and in the afternoon. We had a really nice stretch two weeks ago and I swear I spent NO time in the house.

If they are in daycare, they should be getting out at least once a day. My kids did at their center, usually some play time in the morning outside and some in the afternoon.

 

Our preschool takes them out twice a day...once in the AM and once in the PM for 45 minutes to an hour each time. When we are at home during the summer, I try to take them out first thing after breakfast before it gets too dang hot. We will try to wait until later in the afternoon to take them out again so that it won't be quite so hot.

 

I work full time too but since the weather has improved, I make sure we go for a walk after dinner every night around the neighborhood. They also go outside with my mom and my Nanny during the day too.

 

I, too, have a fenced in back yard. I also have a ten year old boy, so alot of times I will send the girls out back with their big brother and they can play while I work on the inside--however, I still spend a lot of time checking on them and taking lots of breaks to play. They love to play outside so were are out just about all day if it is pretty and only go in to nap and eat. I am also a teacher, so alot of times I will sit on the deck and grade papers or work on lessons while the kids play. It is hard to get lots of things done, so many times I wait until they sleep to get work finished.

 

I voted at least once a day because that's what we do year-round. In the warmer months, though, it's more like twice a day. In the morning, they'll go out for 30 minutes or so after breakfast and then after naptime, it may be an hour or longer. They LOVE to be outside. I'm not getting housework done while they're out but then they aren't messing the place up during that time either so it balances out a bit.

 

As often as possible!! Which I hope is several times a day, but at least once a day!

 

I voted multiple times a day. At daycare they go out (weather permitting) once before lunch and again in mid-afternoon. On weekends, we have a long outing in the morning and usually a short one (though sometimes we run errands instead) after nap. Now that it's light out later, we also have started a post-dinner walk around the block tradition, though we don't do it every day. We try to do it most days if it's warm enough.

 

[SIZE=12pt]We go out multiple times but mostly on the porch. I have their sandbox and some toys on the porch as we live so close to the road I won't allow them in the yard without Dh and I right there holding their hands. Id love to have a fanced in yard!! I like keeping the sandbox on the porch because it keeps the bugs away lol It has a cover but I dont always remember to put it on there. I am hoping when they get a bit older and listen better and I can trust them more we can actually go out in the yard and play[/SIZE]

 

I try to get them outside once every day with nice weather. However, mine have bonnets, sunglasses and sunscreen, so they keep right on blending into the nearest wall. As a redhead, I suffered enough painful burns in the pre-sun-protection days that I keep my kids slathered until they're old enough to ignore me on the issue. Heck, DH is tans easily and darkly, and he's still had to have skin cancer removed from his face.

 

On daycare days (M/W/F), they go out in the morning and afternoon, as long as it is 20 degrees or warmer and not raining. Sometimes we take them outside after dinner to play or for a walk.

On T/Th their nanny is here, in the morning we go to EI playgroup, and in the afternoon they play outside. Again, sometimes after dinner we go outside again.

On the weekends they are out at least twice a day, weather permitting. I'm not as winter hardy as the daycare teachers, so it's not that often on the weekend.

We live near the lake, so when the water is warm enough and the night's are warm, we'll probably go swimming after dinner pretty often.

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ May 4 2008, 06:28 PM) [snapback]755143[/snapback]
We go out as much as possible now before it gets too hot here in FL to do anything outside for any length of time.

Same here we live in Tennessee and we are already starting to lose the nice lovely weather. We go outside at least once a day if not more. We have a small backyard. Our yard is fenced and I can see them out the window. They love being out there together. I keep a really close eye on them. Plus my three year old is a police man.

 

When mine were yours' age it was just once a day. Now though its multiple times a day. They love riding their bikes, and Katie enjoys using her walker on our porch... so she watches them and laughs.

 

At least once a day to get outside and run around for exercise. They also play on the back porch which is screened in -- DATZMOM says we get outside while it's not ridiculously hot...same here.

 

From day one I have always tried to take them out every day, not only for them, but for me as well. Now, it's crazy if we don't leave the house.

 

We try to go out every day when it's nice, at least for a walk to the park. After being cooped up all winter, it's nice to get out!

 

QUOTE(Jennifer P @ May 4 2008, 05:13 PM) [snapback]755025[/snapback]
I'm just curious.

I work a full time job, so when I get home I have to clean, study, relax and work on my web design projects and take care of/play with the kids.
So, there are times that I don't want to go outside so that I can try and catch up with cleaning. But then I also feel guilty because the kids want to constantly go outside. How do you balance things, so that your house doesn't start to smell, but yet your kids don't look so pale, they blend into the wall?

In twenty years are you going to have fond memories of your clean house or walks around the neighborhood with your kids?

I completely sympathize. DH & I work full time too. I'm also in school; he works two jobs (one ft, one pt) and also is in school. We have myriad personal projects that we're contantly working on. Our house isn't spotless by any means, but it's passable. We've let some home care items go in favor of nightly walks after dinner with the kids. Sometimes we only have time for a 5-minute walk, but the girls don't seem to mind. Sometimes I'll stay in to clean while he takes them out and vice versa. The girls are happy just to be outside for a few minutes and to spend time with us. It's so worth it. Let the dishes wait. Let the dust gather. Spend time with your kids instead. You'll be glad you did.