Anonymous wrote:I would try a family ski vacation. A place with a kids club will do all the work of ski lessons for you, and it might be a way for the girls to see that kids can have fun outdoors even in the cold. If you go to a place like Lake Placid, you could enjoy ice skating, bobsledding, skiing, outdoor winter hot tubs in a beautiful setting. Just a thought! You will be making lasting family memories while perhaps changing their perspective.

Not everyone likes snow

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I had a big argument because he feels like we spend way too much time at home on weekends and should be out more being active. We have 2 girls, ages 4 and 7, and they are not very sporty, so they prefer to stay home and do art projects, play dolls, bake, etc. On weekends they would probably never leave the house if we didn’t force them to.

We are definitely outdoors much more in the spring/summer/fall, going to the playground every weekend, swimming, bike riding, scootering, etc. The kids don’t like being outside in the cold and complain after 30 seconds and don’t stop.

Currently the girls both do a gymnastics class on Saturdays and go to Sunday school on Sunday mornings, so we are really just talking about afternoons.

What do other people’s weekend schedules look like with their kids. Do you force them outside when they just want to stay in and play ?

I don’t understand the problem with this. If the girls are content, it’s fine. So many people here need to run run run. The girls will get busier as they why older. I also hate the cold and am much more active when it’s warmer.

I agree with you and I also think the girls are both very young.

What I disagree with is the idea that the girls are “not very sporty.” They are 4 and 7! How can you make a blanket assumption like this at these young ages? And especially if they are enjoying gymnastics?

I think in another year I would have the older daughter try a standard organized sport like softball or soccer and see how it goes, but I think gymnastics is also a great way to work the body and work in a team like any other sport as well.

I don’t think she made a blanket assumption about anything. Her daughters like what they like. They don’t currently have interest in a team sport. They enjoy baking. Plenty of people do not enjoy team sports or any sports at all. Sports families for whatever reason tend to have a hard time understanding this. Her kids get physical activity and outdoor activity. They just didn’t want to play rec basketball or go on a cold hike. That is fine! The issue is the dad is antsy at home. It’s hard to tell from the post what he’d rather be doing. Can’t tell if he wants to at a museum, skiing or just with other people in a social way.

I would try a family ski vacation. A place with a kids club will do all the work of ski lessons for you, and it might be a way for the girls to see that kids can have fun outdoors even in the cold. If you go to a place like Lake Placid, you could enjoy ice skating, bobsledding, skiing, outdoor winter hot tubs in a beautiful setting. Just a thought! You will be making lasting family memories while perhaps changing their perspective.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I had a big argument because he feels like we spend way too much time at home on weekends and should be out more being active. We have 2 girls, ages 4 and 7, and they are not very sporty, so they prefer to stay home and do art projects, play dolls, bake, etc. On weekends they would probably never leave the house if we didn’t force them to.

We are definitely outdoors much more in the spring/summer/fall, going to the playground every weekend, swimming, bike riding, scootering, etc. The kids don’t like being outside in the cold and complain after 30 seconds and don’t stop.

Currently the girls both do a gymnastics class on Saturdays and go to Sunday school on Sunday mornings, so we are really just talking about afternoons.

What do other people’s weekend schedules look like with their kids. Do you force them outside when they just want to stay in and play ?

I don’t understand the problem with this. If the girls are content, it’s fine. So many people here need to run run run. The girls will get busier as they why older. I also hate the cold and am much more active when it’s warmer.

I agree with you and I also think the girls are both very young.

What I disagree with is the idea that the girls are “not very sporty.” They are 4 and 7! How can you make a blanket assumption like this at these young ages? And especially if they are enjoying gymnastics?

I think in another year I would have the older daughter try a standard organized sport like softball or soccer and see how it goes, but I think gymnastics is also a great way to work the body and work in a team like any other sport as well.

I don’t think it matters what other people do. You need to figure out what works for your family. Sounds like you and the girls are content to stay home and DH is not. Can you compromise?

Every few weekends do something big as a family (museum, ice skating, etc) for part of the day. Then let DH figure out some other ways to get out of the house. Maybe he can take both girls to the pool, or start a tradition where he takes turns taking one out for hot cocoa, the library, and errands. And get a babysitter every other weekend to go out together one evening! Talk to him about a solution that would address both your needs and try it for a couple months.

My DH is much happier puttering around the house on weekends than I am. I want to DO things and get stir crazy. Sometimes I drag him out to do things together and he willingly obliges, but lots of other times I just take a kid and head out to the pool, the playground, the nature center, the museum, etc myself. Typically that’s at least once a day on the weekends.

Anonymous wrote:So many girl stereotypes on this thread!! I'm the extroverted wife whose husband never wants to do anything on the weekends. My girls play sports and music and love being active on the weekend, my husband just wants to laze around the house and do nothing.

Going out and doing stuff on the weekends is not a boy thing. Staying home and playing dolls/crafting is not a girl thing. Stop projecting all your own introvertedness on your girls!! What is wrong with you???

I'm surprised by your reaction, I only saw one post about "dad being bored with surprised girl stuff". Most of us seem to land somewhere in the middle but I didn't see much reference to gender playing a part.

I'm a pp with a son and a daughter and a dh who are all pretty content up have lazy weekends. I'm the high energy, need to get out of the house, person (mom) in my family.

The girls sound like they're having fun at home. Don't rush them into activities too early.

-You could go to the library programs
-Have they tried dance?
-Girl Scouts

So many girl stereotypes on this thread!! I'm the extroverted wife whose husband never wants to do anything on the weekends. My girls play sports and music and love being active on the weekend, my husband just wants to laze around the house and do nothing.

Going out and doing stuff on the weekends is not a boy thing. Staying home and playing dolls/crafting is not a girl thing. Stop projecting all your own introvertedness on your girls!! What is wrong with you???

I usually have my kid in many sports/activities, because it works best for us that way (he has lots of energy, I need organized activities to deal with it). BUT this winter, we have only one thing, and I have realized it's working out great because we needed a break, he's at an age now he can entertain himself. Soon spring sports start up and we'll be busy again but this is nice for 20-30 degree weather (in which I would have taken him out to playground, when he was younger).

OP, your weekend sounds amazing. They are getting out a bit, and they have time to play and relax. Perfect balance!

Anytime my kids aren’t watching tv most of the day on a weekend is a win in my book…

We tend to hibernate in winter - sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. Your schedule sounds good to me. One of our kids has a weekend activity and the other one prefers to hang out at home on the weekend now (but has had a weekend activity in the past). Besides that we have birthday parties and social gatherings, but there are fewer in the winter. I like to make a point to do something out of the house one day per weekend (outside of the kids' activities) with a kid because it's good for my mental health.

I wonder if you and your husband might each benefit from some time alone each weekend. If he wants to get out of the house, can he take one or both kids somewhere? I work mostly from home so I have realized getting out for a couple of hours by myself or with 1 kid on the weekend is something I need to feel balanced, and I trade that free time for doing the grocery shopping while I'm out. My husband works outside the home but starts to act cooped up if he doesn't do anything but chores at home on the weekend, so I encourage him to find something he wants to do and do it. It benefits everyone for both parents to get what they need out of the weekend time. Today I took the easier kid on an outing and then we got groceries, and when I got home I was more patient and attentive with the child who is more challenging.

I guess a big lesson for me is we all need different things and it's okay to split up on the weekends to make sure people get what they need. I like some lazy time at home, time doing something fun outside the house, and time to chores (in that priority order). My husband gets bogged down in the chores that need to be done, and I have realized I can't get sucked into his overwhelm about groceries, laundry, and cleaning... because I am 10x more motivated to do all of that once I have had time outside the house to rejuvenate.

Anonymous wrote:Our daughters didn't "do" sports, either. We had many weekends around the house, just relaxing. We had no plan most weekends, anything we did was fairly spontaneous. Let's go have lunch and walk around the mall, or go to the zoo. The pace in the DMV is so hectic during the weekdays and the school starts so early that people need to relax for the sake of their own mental health. Kids need a day or two where they don't need to be anywhere. Adults, too.

Reject the keep up with the Joneses nonsense and let your kids relax a little bit. It will pay off later.

+1. My kids are 4 and 6 and we're so busy during the week. They're in after care every day until 5 and get some "enrichment" then. Weekends we all love our down time. I personally go stir crazy if I don't leave the house and we usually end up at a playground or just walking around the block if the weather isn't good, but we've backed off of having regular sports or classes on weekends.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I had a big argument because he feels like we spend way too much time at home on weekends and should be out more being active. We have 2 girls, ages 4 and 7, and they are not very sporty, so they prefer to stay home and do art projects, play dolls, bake, etc. On weekends they would probably never leave the house if we didn’t force them to.

We are definitely outdoors much more in the spring/summer/fall, going to the playground every weekend, swimming, bike riding, scootering, etc. The kids don’t like being outside in the cold and complain after 30 seconds and don’t stop.

Currently the girls both do a gymnastics class on Saturdays and go to Sunday school on Sunday mornings, so we are really just talking about afternoons.

What do other people’s weekend schedules look like with their kids. Do you force them outside when they just want to stay in and play ?

I don’t understand the problem with this. If the girls are content, it’s fine. So many people here need to run run run. The girls will get busier as they why older. I also hate the cold and am much more active when it’s warmer.

+1. I think the dad is just bored of art projects, etc. and the stereotypical girl stuff. He’s outnumbered!

Anonymous wrote:DH and I had a big argument because he feels like we spend way too much time at home on weekends and should be out more being active. We have 2 girls, ages 4 and 7, and they are not very sporty, so they prefer to stay home and do art projects, play dolls, bake, etc. On weekends they would probably never leave the house if we didn’t force them to.

We are definitely outdoors much more in the spring/summer/fall, going to the playground every weekend, swimming, bike riding, scootering, etc. The kids don’t like being outside in the cold and complain after 30 seconds and don’t stop.

Currently the girls both do a gymnastics class on Saturdays and go to Sunday school on Sunday mornings, so we are really just talking about afternoons.

What do other people’s weekend schedules look like with their kids. Do you force them outside when they just want to stay in and play ?

I don’t understand the problem with this. If the girls are content, it’s fine. So many people here need to run run run. The girls will get busier as they why older. I also hate the cold and am much more active when it’s warmer.

I cut down on outings because it was driving everyone else crazy (family of introverts).

Sport, music lesson, and usually half a day of playdate/bday/family outing.