Anonymous wrote:My wife never takes our 2 year old outside. She takes him to an indoor gym for 2-3 hours almost everyday. Apparently all her mom friends take their kids to the indoor gym. So, basically, he's never outside. We live a few minutes away from the beach. It does get humid out here but for the winter months it's really nice. Wife says she's not a fan of being out in the sun because her skin burns easily.

We have good friends who live in Miami and Destin. Florida, at least, is so hot and humid that there are tons of very fun indoor centers for kid rock climbing, gymnastics, bouncing, arts/crafts etc. Especially popular the last few years due to Zika scares and spraying.
Even here in DC, the parks are scalding hot in July and August, plus mosquitos, ticks. It's either pool, indoor camp or these activity centers.

Contained safe areas for 2 yo are quite smart as well. Plus once you may the monthly membership, use it!

And maybe you should take a 2 yo to the beach by yourself and see how much fun it is. Better yet, manhandle 2 toddlers to the beach and back yourself, then report back here on how fun it was or what a mess you made.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a novel idea but you tried talking to your wife? What does she say?

Could you say, “Honey, it’s supposed to be really nice on Thursday. Could you invite some friends to meet at city park instead of the gym so that little Larlo can enjoy the fresh air?”

Sounds to me that you think she will say no, in which case your issue is bigger than you are letting on.

She doesn't really have any friends except the moms at the indoor gym. They don't spend time together outside the gym. The gym has storytime and crafts or yoga every morning. My wife thinks these classes are extremely important. She's obsessed with this place.

She can skip once or twice a week. Or if you think the gym is a bad influence, maybe cancel the membership? I’m a veteran SAHM but I’ve never heard of a gym like the one you describe. No daycare but has storytime and crafts? I get that she needs adult interaction but she doesn’t need to socialize 5x a week. Is she depressed? Maybe she isn’t cut out for staying home. Definitely don’t get her pregnant again until you sort this out!

It's like Gymboree. You've never heard of Gymboree?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like Gymboree or something similar which is an awesome environment for a two year old. He gets socialization and play time, while mom doesn't go crazy alone with a 2 year old all day. It's also a safe and relatively clean environment. I do not know what the problem is. And I doubt that she "never" takes him outside just because she takes him to a play gym every day.

Seriously? You don't know children need 2 hours outside daily for like a million health reasons? Wow.

First of all, where'd you get that number from? Sources please. Second, like I said, I highly highly doubt that she never takes the child outside.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd have a problem with this. Is there no shady park/playground she can take him to?

+1

She sounds lazy.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a novel idea but you tried talking to your wife? What does she say?

Could you say, “Honey, it’s supposed to be really nice on Thursday. Could you invite some friends to meet at city park instead of the gym so that little Larlo can enjoy the fresh air?”

Sounds to me that you think she will say no, in which case your issue is bigger than you are letting on.

She doesn't really have any friends except the moms at the indoor gym. They don't spend time together outside the gym. The gym has storytime and crafts or yoga every morning. My wife thinks these classes are extremely important. She's obsessed with this place.

She can skip once or twice a week. Or if you think the gym is a bad influence, maybe cancel the membership? I’m a veteran SAHM but I’ve never heard of a gym like the one you describe. No daycare but has storytime and crafts? I get that she needs adult interaction but she doesn’t need to socialize 5x a week. Is she depressed? Maybe she isn’t cut out for staying home. Definitely don’t get her pregnant again until you sort this out!

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like Gymboree or something similar which is an awesome environment for a two year old. He gets socialization and play time, while mom doesn't go crazy alone with a 2 year old all day. It's also a safe and relatively clean environment. I do not know what the problem is. And I doubt that she "never" takes him outside just because she takes him to a play gym every day.

Seriously? You don't know children need 2 hours outside daily for like a million health reasons? Wow.

Anonymous wrote:Watching a kid around the water is stressful. I can understand not wanting to spend hours at the beach every day.

Take him on the weekends.

Oh FFS. I'm sure toddlers rush into frigid waters every day. If so, I'm sure there are other places to play rather than the beach.

It sounds like Gymboree or something similar which is an awesome environment for a two year old. He gets socialization and play time, while mom doesn't go crazy alone with a 2 year old all day. It's also a safe and relatively clean environment. I do not know what the problem is. And I doubt that she "never" takes him outside just because she takes him to a play gym every day.

Anonymous wrote:It’s a novel idea but you tried talking to your wife? What does she say?

Could you say, “Honey, it’s supposed to be really nice on Thursday. Could you invite some friends to meet at city park instead of the gym so that little Larlo can enjoy the fresh air?”

Sounds to me that you think she will say no, in which case your issue is bigger than you are letting on.

She doesn't really have any friends except the moms at the indoor gym. They don't spend time together outside the gym. The gym has storytime and crafts or yoga every morning. My wife thinks these classes are extremely important. She's obsessed with this place.

Anonymous wrote:You sound really uninvolved in parenting your child. That's a lot worse in my book than preferring an indoor gym to going outside.

I am home several hours every evening. You're jumping to a lot of conclusions about me. You barely know anything about me except I have a job Monday- Saturday.

You sound really uninvolved in parenting your child. That's a lot worse in my book than preferring an indoor gym to going outside.

It’s a novel idea but you tried talking to your wife? What does she say?

Could you say, “Honey, it’s supposed to be really nice on Thursday. Could you invite some friends to meet at city park instead of the gym so that little Larlo can enjoy the fresh air?”

Sounds to me that you think she will say no, in which case your issue is bigger than you are letting on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The funny thing is moms who are siding with his wife here would go ballistic if their nanny never took the child outside.

+1 The bias is unreal. You bitter ladies know you'd damn well lose your minds if your nannies or DH's never took your kids outside, but a husband complains about it and somehow it's his fault? Woooow.

His wife isn't a nanny. It's not the same thing.

Aaaand that just makes your point even worse. Sounds like a nanny would take care better care of the kid than Mom is.

They usually do, which is why so many moms are so eager to cut them down

It is important to both me and my husband that my kids get outside everyday, so we both work to make it happen.

Sounds like your wife does not think this is important, therefore unfortunately you'll probably have to be the one to make an effort to make it happen. Your problem may not be a lazy wife, or a selfish wife, just one who has different priorities than you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The funny thing is moms who are siding with his wife here would go ballistic if their nanny never took the child outside.

+1 The bias is unreal. You bitter ladies know you'd damn well lose your minds if your nannies or DH's never took your kids outside, but a husband complains about it and somehow it's his fault? Woooow.

His wife isn't a nanny. It's not the same thing.

Aaaand that just makes your point even worse. Sounds like a nanny would take care better care of the kid than Mom is.