How much outside time do very young kids need?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare has the toddlers outside for two 45 minute sessions a day.

Where are you guys getting four hours a day?! Even on weekends my two and a half year old wants to come inside from our yard at around an hour.

Same. These are suburban SAHMs with the “four hours” or those with onlies. Impossible.

Come on people. This isn definitely possible. 1.5 hrs taking walks in a ride along stroller spread out throughout the day to encompass errands (get a ride along stroller so toddler can stand when tired), 2 hours, sometimes more in nearby parks (AM and PM session, longer if the water play at the nearby water feature at a park was active, both kids loved that. Ate lunch outside at the park before nap. Sometimes fed them dinner outside too just sitting on the porch steps while people watching...we didn’t have a yard but if you do it’s much easier to spend time outside. My friend kept her baby in a play yard in her backyard that had a little tent over it while her other kid played.

Nope. Simply not possible with two kids (2.5 and 8 month old). I don’t want either strapped in a stroller for 1.5 a day nor do I want to force 2.5 yr old to “sit on a stoop” in front of a busy street (if we had a stoop).

My kids are active and want out of the stroller. And the baby will not sleep on the stroller. We get an hour to run and play in a park every morning - sometimes more - and a quick walk in the afternoon. 2 hours max. No yard, not outdoor space.

Stop trying to guilt Mother’s with this completely arbitrary “4 hours”.

I think you need to open your mind and learn that there is a difference between “not possible” and “not possible for me because it doesn’t suit my preferences.” Your baby doesn’t sleep in the stroller, that’s specific to your babies. Plenty of babies do sleep in the stroller and plenty of moms wear their babies. No one is setting an arbitrary 4 hours but my kids would be miserable if they were indoors all day. They’re active and love being out in nature and sunshine, and the days they are out a lot they definitely sleep all day.

She is saying, “not possible for me” because of her location as well as the ages and temperaments of her children.

Let it go, PP. We’re all doing the best we can.

No she’s said it’s “not possible” multiple times as if people with a lifestyle different to hers must be lying. And it seems to me the most privileged of statements that kids can’t go out when it’s hot or sunny or stay in nature. What do you think 99 percent of the kids in the world do all day?

And you wrote “come on. It’s definitely possible”. I read this entire thread and the four hours a day posters assume everyone has kids like theirs and a location like theirs.

And what 99% of the world does (wrong, btw) isn’t applicable if you have very active kids who hate sitting in the stroller and you live in an urban area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare has the toddlers outside for two 45 minute sessions a day.

Where are you guys getting four hours a day?! Even on weekends my two and a half year old wants to come inside from our yard at around an hour.

Same. These are suburban SAHMs with the “four hours” or those with onlies. Impossible.

Come on people. This isn definitely possible. 1.5 hrs taking walks in a ride along stroller spread out throughout the day to encompass errands (get a ride along stroller so toddler can stand when tired), 2 hours, sometimes more in nearby parks (AM and PM session, longer if the water play at the nearby water feature at a park was active, both kids loved that. Ate lunch outside at the park before nap. Sometimes fed them dinner outside too just sitting on the porch steps while people watching...we didn’t have a yard but if you do it’s much easier to spend time outside. My friend kept her baby in a play yard in her backyard that had a little tent over it while her other kid played.

Nope. Simply not possible with two kids (2.5 and 8 month old). I don’t want either strapped in a stroller for 1.5 a day nor do I want to force 2.5 yr old to “sit on a stoop” in front of a busy street (if we had a stoop).

My kids are active and want out of the stroller. And the baby will not sleep on the stroller. We get an hour to run and play in a park every morning - sometimes more - and a quick walk in the afternoon. 2 hours max. No yard, not outdoor space.

Stop trying to guilt Mother’s with this completely arbitrary “4 hours”.

You’re doing great, PP, and I’m sure your kids are happy and healthy. 1.5 to 2 hours outside in the park is great.

This thread has turned into a weird competition. Don’t buy into it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare has the toddlers outside for two 45 minute sessions a day.

Where are you guys getting four hours a day?! Even on weekends my two and a half year old wants to come inside from our yard at around an hour.

Same. These are suburban SAHMs with the “four hours” or those with onlies. Impossible.

Come on people. This isn definitely possible. 1.5 hrs taking walks in a ride along stroller spread out throughout the day to encompass errands (get a ride along stroller so toddler can stand when tired), 2 hours, sometimes more in nearby parks (AM and PM session, longer if the water play at the nearby water feature at a park was active, both kids loved that. Ate lunch outside at the park before nap. Sometimes fed them dinner outside too just sitting on the porch steps while people watching...we didn’t have a yard but if you do it’s much easier to spend time outside. My friend kept her baby in a play yard in her backyard that had a little tent over it while her other kid played.

Nope. Simply not possible with two kids (2.5 and 8 month old). I don’t want either strapped in a stroller for 1.5 a day nor do I want to force 2.5 yr old to “sit on a stoop” in front of a busy street (if we had a stoop).

My kids are active and want out of the stroller. And the baby will not sleep on the stroller. We get an hour to run and play in a park every morning - sometimes more - and a quick walk in the afternoon. 2 hours max. No yard, not outdoor space.

Stop trying to guilt Mother’s with this completely arbitrary “4 hours”.

I think you need to open your mind and learn that there is a difference between “not possible” and “not possible for me because it doesn’t suit my preferences.” Your baby doesn’t sleep in the stroller, that’s specific to your babies. Plenty of babies do sleep in the stroller and plenty of moms wear their babies. No one is setting an arbitrary 4 hours but my kids would be miserable if they were indoors all day. They’re active and love being out in nature and sunshine, and the days they are out a lot they definitely sleep all day.

She is saying, “not possible for me” because of her location as well as the ages and temperaments of her children.

Let it go, PP. We’re all doing the best we can.

No she’s said it’s “not possible” multiple times as if people with a lifestyle different to hers must be lying. And it seems to me the most privileged of statements that kids can’t go out when it’s hot or sunny or stay in nature. What do you think 99 percent of the kids in the world do all day?

And you wrote “come on. It’s definitely possible”. I read this entire thread and the four hours a day posters assume everyone has kids like theirs and a location like theirs.

And what 99% of the world does (wrong, btw) isn’t applicable if you have very active kids who hate sitting in the stroller and you live in an urban area.

There’s a difference between saying “it’s possible” and saying all kids are alike and weirdly anti-stroller. Kids in urban areas spend time outside. In fact sometimes more than their suburban counterparts, because they more typically live in smaller apartments where there isn’t a lot of living space so their parents are more incentivized to get out of the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I.... was the most indoorsy possible kid, and I am still not a huge fan of the outdoors, per se. But like... they really are meant to be outdoors. This isn't a mommy shaming thing. Whatever you can do is what you can do. But "1 hour is fine" is just... it's not, if you can possibly do more. What they NEED is as much time as possible. You may not be able to give them all that, and they'll definitely live. But it shouldn't be framed as a "minimum," as in checking a box.

This makes me think of the many DCUM posters who say, "Yeah, my kid spends X hours per day on screens, but they also run, jump, skip, play, climb trees, read books..." and they really do all those other things! But they spend a total of like 1-2 hours on those other things, as if they were checking off gym time or something.

It should be that kids' default state is being outdoors and active. I completely and totally understand why it's not always possible! I really do. We lived in a high rise apartment in an urban area for my kid's first 5 years. But that, and not indoors and stationary, should be where people start, if at all possible.

And if they can’t be outdoors, then at a minimum they should be in childcare centers with real windows. the windowless daycares really creeped me out in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I.... was the most indoorsy possible kid, and I am still not a huge fan of the outdoors, per se. But like... they really are meant to be outdoors. This isn't a mommy shaming thing. Whatever you can do is what you can do. But "1 hour is fine" is just... it's not, if you can possibly do more. What they NEED is as much time as possible. You may not be able to give them all that, and they'll definitely live. But it shouldn't be framed as a "minimum," as in checking a box.

This makes me think of the many DCUM posters who say, "Yeah, my kid spends X hours per day on screens, but they also run, jump, skip, play, climb trees, read books..." and they really do all those other things! But they spend a total of like 1-2 hours on those other things, as if they were checking off gym time or something.

It should be that kids' default state is being outdoors and active. I completely and totally understand why it's not always possible! I really do. We lived in a high rise apartment in an urban area for my kid's first 5 years. But that, and not indoors and stationary, should be where people start, if at all possible.

+1. I remember when I interviewed nannies and asked them about how they would ideally like to break up the day. Two unprompted told me that they try to keep little kids outdoors as much as possible because they find their own fun and behave and sleep better with fresh air. One mentioned that if they’re indoors it’s easier to default to playing with electronic toys etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare has the toddlers outside for two 45 minute sessions a day.

Where are you guys getting four hours a day?! Even on weekends my two and a half year old wants to come inside from our yard at around an hour.

Same. These are suburban SAHMs with the “four hours” or those with onlies. Impossible.

Come on people. This isn definitely possible. 1.5 hrs taking walks in a ride along stroller spread out throughout the day to encompass errands (get a ride along stroller so toddler can stand when tired), 2 hours, sometimes more in nearby parks (AM and PM session, longer if the water play at the nearby water feature at a park was active, both kids loved that. Ate lunch outside at the park before nap. Sometimes fed them dinner outside too just sitting on the porch steps while people watching...we didn’t have a yard but if you do it’s much easier to spend time outside. My friend kept her baby in a play yard in her backyard that had a little tent over it while her other kid played.

Nope. Simply not possible with two kids (2.5 and 8 month old). I don’t want either strapped in a stroller for 1.5 a day nor do I want to force 2.5 yr old to “sit on a stoop” in front of a busy street (if we had a stoop).

My kids are active and want out of the stroller. And the baby will not sleep on the stroller. We get an hour to run and play in a park every morning - sometimes more - and a quick walk in the afternoon. 2 hours max. No yard, not outdoor space.

Stop trying to guilt Mother’s with this completely arbitrary “4 hours”.

I think you need to open your mind and learn that there is a difference between “not possible” and “not possible for me because it doesn’t suit my preferences.” Your baby doesn’t sleep in the stroller, that’s specific to your babies. Plenty of babies do sleep in the stroller and plenty of moms wear their babies. No one is setting an arbitrary 4 hours but my kids would be miserable if they were indoors all day. They’re active and love being out in nature and sunshine, and the days they are out a lot they definitely sleep all day.

She is saying, “not possible for me” because of her location as well as the ages and temperaments of her children.

Let it go, PP. We’re all doing the best we can.

No she’s said it’s “not possible” multiple times as if people with a lifestyle different to hers must be lying. And it seems to me the most privileged of statements that kids can’t go out when it’s hot or sunny or stay in nature. What do you think 99 percent of the kids in the world do all day?

And you wrote “come on. It’s definitely possible”. I read this entire thread and the four hours a day posters assume everyone has kids like theirs and a location like theirs.

And what 99% of the world does (wrong, btw) isn’t applicable if you have very active kids who hate sitting in the stroller and you live in an urban area.

There’s a difference between saying “it’s possible” and saying all kids are alike and weirdly anti-stroller. Kids in urban areas spend time outside. In fact sometimes more than their suburban counterparts, because they more typically live in smaller apartments where there isn’t a lot of living space so their parents are more incentivized to get out of the house.

I agree it’s a bit odd the PP is saying it’s “not possible”. My urban toddler is easily outside 4 hours a day. Probably more. But we are very lucky and have a lot of outdoor space for a DC row house and live close to several parks/splash parks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare has the toddlers outside for two 45 minute sessions a day.

Where are you guys getting four hours a day?! Even on weekends my two and a half year old wants to come inside from our yard at around an hour.

Same. These are suburban SAHMs with the “four hours” or those with onlies. Impossible.

Come on people. This isn definitely possible. 1.5 hrs taking walks in a ride along stroller spread out throughout the day to encompass errands (get a ride along stroller so toddler can stand when tired), 2 hours, sometimes more in nearby parks (AM and PM session, longer if the water play at the nearby water feature at a park was active, both kids loved that. Ate lunch outside at the park before nap. Sometimes fed them dinner outside too just sitting on the porch steps while people watching...we didn’t have a yard but if you do it’s much easier to spend time outside. My friend kept her baby in a play yard in her backyard that had a little tent over it while her other kid played.

Nope. Simply not possible with two kids (2.5 and 8 month old). I don’t want either strapped in a stroller for 1.5 a day nor do I want to force 2.5 yr old to “sit on a stoop” in front of a busy street (if we had a stoop).

My kids are active and want out of the stroller. And the baby will not sleep on the stroller. We get an hour to run and play in a park every morning - sometimes more - and a quick walk in the afternoon. 2 hours max. No yard, not outdoor space.

Stop trying to guilt Mother’s with this completely arbitrary “4 hours”.

I think you need to open your mind and learn that there is a difference between “not possible” and “not possible for me because it doesn’t suit my preferences.” Your baby doesn’t sleep in the stroller, that’s specific to your babies. Plenty of babies do sleep in the stroller and plenty of moms wear their babies. No one is setting an arbitrary 4 hours but my kids would be miserable if they were indoors all day. They’re active and love being out in nature and sunshine, and the days they are out a lot they definitely sleep all day.

She is saying, “not possible for me” because of her location as well as the ages and temperaments of her children.

Let it go, PP. We’re all doing the best we can.

No she’s said it’s “not possible” multiple times as if people with a lifestyle different to hers must be lying. And it seems to me the most privileged of statements that kids can’t go out when it’s hot or sunny or stay in nature. What do you think 99 percent of the kids in the world do all day?

And you wrote “come on. It’s definitely possible”. I read this entire thread and the four hours a day posters assume everyone has kids like theirs and a location like theirs.

And what 99% of the world does (wrong, btw) isn’t applicable if you have very active kids who hate sitting in the stroller and you live in an urban area.

There’s a difference between saying “it’s possible” and saying all kids are alike and weirdly anti-stroller. Kids in urban areas spend time outside. In fact sometimes more than their suburban counterparts, because they more typically live in smaller apartments where there isn’t a lot of living space so their parents are more incentivized to get out of the house.

I think this is true. We lived with our first born in a 800 sq ft condo in downtown dc and there was not much room for toys that could keep kids busy for hours on end or to host play dates. So we were outside at the nearby park all the time. In the suburbs the pressure to be outside was less because it was more comfortable to hang out at home but we also had a backyard so kids could easily wander on and out on their own all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare has the toddlers outside for two 45 minute sessions a day.

Where are you guys getting four hours a day?! Even on weekends my two and a half year old wants to come inside from our yard at around an hour.

Same. These are suburban SAHMs with the “four hours” or those with onlies. Impossible.

Come on people. This isn definitely possible. 1.5 hrs taking walks in a ride along stroller spread out throughout the day to encompass errands (get a ride along stroller so toddler can stand when tired), 2 hours, sometimes more in nearby parks (AM and PM session, longer if the water play at the nearby water feature at a park was active, both kids loved that. Ate lunch outside at the park before nap. Sometimes fed them dinner outside too just sitting on the porch steps while people watching...we didn’t have a yard but if you do it’s much easier to spend time outside. My friend kept her baby in a play yard in her backyard that had a little tent over it while her other kid played.

Nope. Simply not possible with two kids (2.5 and 8 month old). I don’t want either strapped in a stroller for 1.5 a day nor do I want to force 2.5 yr old to “sit on a stoop” in front of a busy street (if we had a stoop).

My kids are active and want out of the stroller. And the baby will not sleep on the stroller. We get an hour to run and play in a park every morning - sometimes more - and a quick walk in the afternoon. 2 hours max. No yard, not outdoor space.

Stop trying to guilt Mother’s with this completely arbitrary “4 hours”.

I think you need to open your mind and learn that there is a difference between “not possible” and “not possible for me because it doesn’t suit my preferences.” Your baby doesn’t sleep in the stroller, that’s specific to your babies. Plenty of babies do sleep in the stroller and plenty of moms wear their babies. No one is setting an arbitrary 4 hours but my kids would be miserable if they were indoors all day. They’re active and love being out in nature and sunshine, and the days they are out a lot they definitely sleep all day.

She is saying, “not possible for me” because of her location as well as the ages and temperaments of her children.

Let it go, PP. We’re all doing the best we can.

No she’s said it’s “not possible” multiple times as if people with a lifestyle different to hers must be lying. And it seems to me the most privileged of statements that kids can’t go out when it’s hot or sunny or stay in nature. What do you think 99 percent of the kids in the world do all day?

And you wrote “come on. It’s definitely possible”. I read this entire thread and the four hours a day posters assume everyone has kids like theirs and a location like theirs.

And what 99% of the world does (wrong, btw) isn’t applicable if you have very active kids who hate sitting in the stroller and you live in an urban area.

There’s a difference between saying “it’s possible” and saying all kids are alike and weirdly anti-stroller. Kids in urban areas spend time outside. In fact sometimes more than their suburban counterparts, because they more typically live in smaller apartments where there isn’t a lot of living space so their parents are more incentivized to get out of the house.

I think this is true. We lived with our first born in a 800 sq ft condo in downtown dc and there was not much room for toys that could keep kids busy for hours on end or to host play dates. So we were outside at the nearby park all the time. In the suburbs the pressure to be outside was less because it was more comfortable to hang out at home but we also had a backyard so kids could easily wander on and out on their own all day.

Well, you are all clearly better Mother’s than me because with a 2.5 yr old and 9 months old - neither who will spend more than 20 minutes in the stroller - I cannot manage four hours outside in the city.

[Anonymous]

We aim to spend at least 2-3 hours outdoors on the weekends, for our 2-year old. Daycare also has plenty of outdoor time.

[Anonymous]

Play it by ear. Kids will let you know when they're tired and ready to leave.

I used to take my kids to the park every day when they were young, even on very hot days. I would just choose a park with more shade or wait until the time of day that it had a lot more shade. Pack enough drinks in an insulated backpack. One trick I used was to not pack a ton of drinks. When the drinks ran out and they said they were thirsty, then it was time to go home. And they would leave if they were getting thirsty.

My kids are now teens and reminisce sometimes about all the time spent outside at the park playing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No such thing as too much as long as its bot too hot/freezing. My kids got at least 2 since birth. Even just a stroller walk in winter or early morning in summer.
Ive plopped my kids in a pack and play outside or a pen while i do yardwork on weekends if they are younger than 2. After that they help out in the gated yard or just play in the water table and hammocks. We aim for 2 outings a day minimum. One is with the nanny and one with me when i get home or they are already out at 4. At 2 and 5 they are outside for at least 3 hrs. Oldest and i take a walk after dinner most days when the toddler is in bed.

This. Look up 5210, but that’s a minimum. My kids are outside all day if the weather’s good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare has the toddlers outside for two 45 minute sessions a day.

Where are you guys getting four hours a day?! Even on weekends my two and a half year old wants to come inside from our yard at around an hour.

Same. These are suburban SAHMs with the “four hours” or those with onlies. Impossible.

Come on people. This isn definitely possible. 1.5 hrs taking walks in a ride along stroller spread out throughout the day to encompass errands (get a ride along stroller so toddler can stand when tired), 2 hours, sometimes more in nearby parks (AM and PM session, longer if the water play at the nearby water feature at a park was active, both kids loved that. Ate lunch outside at the park before nap. Sometimes fed them dinner outside too just sitting on the porch steps while people watching...we didn’t have a yard but if you do it’s much easier to spend time outside. My friend kept her baby in a play yard in her backyard that had a little tent over it while her other kid played.

Nope. Simply not possible with two kids (2.5 and 8 month old). I don’t want either strapped in a stroller for 1.5 a day nor do I want to force 2.5 yr old to “sit on a stoop” in front of a busy street (if we had a stoop).

My kids are active and want out of the stroller. And the baby will not sleep on the stroller. We get an hour to run and play in a park every morning - sometimes more - and a quick walk in the afternoon. 2 hours max. No yard, not outdoor space.

Stop trying to guilt Mother’s with this completely arbitrary “4 hours”.

I think you need to open your mind and learn that there is a difference between “not possible” and “not possible for me because it doesn’t suit my preferences.” Your baby doesn’t sleep in the stroller, that’s specific to your babies. Plenty of babies do sleep in the stroller and plenty of moms wear their babies. No one is setting an arbitrary 4 hours but my kids would be miserable if they were indoors all day. They’re active and love being out in nature and sunshine, and the days they are out a lot they definitely sleep all day.

She is saying, “not possible for me” because of her location as well as the ages and temperaments of her children.

Let it go, PP. We’re all doing the best we can.

No she’s said it’s “not possible” multiple times as if people with a lifestyle different to hers must be lying. And it seems to me the most privileged of statements that kids can’t go out when it’s hot or sunny or stay in nature. What do you think 99 percent of the kids in the world do all day?

And you wrote “come on. It’s definitely possible”. I read this entire thread and the four hours a day posters assume everyone has kids like theirs and a location like theirs.

And what 99% of the world does (wrong, btw) isn’t applicable if you have very active kids who hate sitting in the stroller and you live in an urban area.

There’s a difference between saying “it’s possible” and saying all kids are alike and weirdly anti-stroller. Kids in urban areas spend time outside. In fact sometimes more than their suburban counterparts, because they more typically live in smaller apartments where there isn’t a lot of living space so their parents are more incentivized to get out of the house.

I think this is true. We lived with our first born in a 800 sq ft condo in downtown dc and there was not much room for toys that could keep kids busy for hours on end or to host play dates. So we were outside at the nearby park all the time. In the suburbs the pressure to be outside was less because it was more comfortable to hang out at home but we also had a backyard so kids could easily wander on and out on their own all day.

Well, you are all clearly better Mother’s than me because with a 2.5 yr old and 9 months old - neither who will spend more than 20 minutes in the stroller - I cannot manage four hours outside in the city.

No one called you a bad mother. Take it down a notch. Just said that your “nope impossible!” comments were, uh, demonstrably wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our daycare has the toddlers outside for two 45 minute sessions a day.

Where are you guys getting four hours a day?! Even on weekends my two and a half year old wants to come inside from our yard at around an hour.

Same. These are suburban SAHMs with the “four hours” or those with onlies. Impossible.

Come on people. This isn definitely possible. 1.5 hrs taking walks in a ride along stroller spread out throughout the day to encompass errands (get a ride along stroller so toddler can stand when tired), 2 hours, sometimes more in nearby parks (AM and PM session, longer if the water play at the nearby water feature at a park was active, both kids loved that. Ate lunch outside at the park before nap. Sometimes fed them dinner outside too just sitting on the porch steps while people watching...we didn’t have a yard but if you do it’s much easier to spend time outside. My friend kept her baby in a play yard in her backyard that had a little tent over it while her other kid played.

Nope. Simply not possible with two kids (2.5 and 8 month old). I don’t want either strapped in a stroller for 1.5 a day nor do I want to force 2.5 yr old to “sit on a stoop” in front of a busy street (if we had a stoop).

My kids are active and want out of the stroller. And the baby will not sleep on the stroller. We get an hour to run and play in a park every morning - sometimes more - and a quick walk in the afternoon. 2 hours max. No yard, not outdoor space.

Stop trying to guilt Mother’s with this completely arbitrary “4 hours”.

I think you need to open your mind and learn that there is a difference between “not possible” and “not possible for me because it doesn’t suit my preferences.” Your baby doesn’t sleep in the stroller, that’s specific to your babies. Plenty of babies do sleep in the stroller and plenty of moms wear their babies. No one is setting an arbitrary 4 hours but my kids would be miserable if they were indoors all day. They’re active and love being out in nature and sunshine, and the days they are out a lot they definitely sleep all day.

She is saying, “not possible for me” because of her location as well as the ages and temperaments of her children.

Let it go, PP. We’re all doing the best we can.

No she’s said it’s “not possible” multiple times as if people with a lifestyle different to hers must be lying. And it seems to me the most privileged of statements that kids can’t go out when it’s hot or sunny or stay in nature. What do you think 99 percent of the kids in the world do all day?

And you wrote “come on. It’s definitely possible”. I read this entire thread and the four hours a day posters assume everyone has kids like theirs and a location like theirs.

And what 99% of the world does (wrong, btw) isn’t applicable if you have very active kids who hate sitting in the stroller and you live in an urban area.

There’s a difference between saying “it’s possible” and saying all kids are alike and weirdly anti-stroller. Kids in urban areas spend time outside. In fact sometimes more than their suburban counterparts, because they more typically live in smaller apartments where there isn’t a lot of living space so their parents are more incentivized to get out of the house.

I think this is true. We lived with our first born in a 800 sq ft condo in downtown dc and there was not much room for toys that could keep kids busy for hours on end or to host play dates. So we were outside at the nearby park all the time. In the suburbs the pressure to be outside was less because it was more comfortable to hang out at home but we also had a backyard so kids could easily wander on and out on their own all day.

Well, you are all clearly better Mother’s than me because with a 2.5 yr old and 9 months old - neither who will spend more than 20 minutes in the stroller - I cannot manage four hours outside in the city.

No one called you a bad mother. Take it down a notch. Just said that your “nope impossible!” comments were, uh, demonstrably wrong.

+1 All these statements about "impossible" and "it must be false if it doesn't apply to my kid" are not going to serve you well as your kids age. And it's not that leaving your kids outdoors all day makes you a better or a worse mother. Clearly there are situations that border on neglect that could occur indoors or outdoors. But it is true that we're evolved as a species to have more outdoor time than many of us do these day than many people do these days. Y Summer is here now--there's a lot more options to be outdoors at water play areas, parks, gardens. Kidfriendly DC has some great ideas. https://www.kidfriendlydc.com/2011/04/11/sunny-day/

And since your kids hate strollers, I have a neighbor who has one of those bike trailers that holds his two young kids, and the kids seem to love that--he takes them to and from daycare and all over the neighborhood). Or better yet let your older one walk-it's slow but it definitely kills a ton of time outdoors. My kids would take 45 minutes walking a few blocks because they'd get distracted by the grafitti or an ant colony or something. When we had nothing better to do, that was totally fine.

[Anonymous]

For very young kids? An hour or so in the morning and another hour in the afternoon is great.

I don’t know why this thread got so competitive! Four hours is not a magic number for any age but certainly not necessary for very young kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For very young kids? An hour or so in the morning and another hour in the afternoon is great.

I don’t know why this thread got so competitive! Four hours is not a magic number for any age but certainly not necessary for very young kids.

It's not supposed to be competitive. The OP asked how much young kids need. I'm not sure what we'd do inside all day with very young kids, and mine were happy outside so I guess mine needed a lot.