Got out for a long walk Thursday with a stop at the park. The weather is all over the place but I guess that’s to be expected in New England.
Total outside hours =18.5
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Two-ish hours between coffee shop walk in the morning and playing with the curb streams in the afternoon. No sign of the sun, but we missed the worst of the rain/snow.
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Got out TWICE yesterday! Walked to the library for “curious creatures” so glad they are starting in person activities in the children’s room again. Then after nap we walked to the park. Got two hours outside 
Total outside time 2022 = 20.5
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30 minutes walking to a friend’s house and back yesterday for the toddler, and then another 30 min mucking around outside during nap for me. There’s a giant snowmelt puddle in the driveway and I’m trying to get it to drain under the rest of the snowpack. It’s been intermediately successful, but also muddy and fun.
The toddler went on a walk with her daycare class today–I’ll get to hear all about it in a little bit.
Edit: and 30 minutes this evening playing in the curb streams because the child will not be denied.
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At daycare pickup it seemed nice enough to spend some time outside this evening. So when one of the daycare families (who is also at the same employer) mentioned a sportsball event with free food, I figured it wouldn’t be a bad way to spend a bit of time outside. I was overly optimistic about the temperature.
But the toddler enjoyed eating only the bun of her burger, yelling at the players to “run”, and stomping on the bleachers to make them ring. Not enjoyed were the protein parts of her dinner, the loudspeaker, and seeing so many strangers.
One hour outside and her first outdoor stadium experience.
Edit: waiting for class is as good a time as any to do some math and leave a marker—22.5 hours outside YTD. Winter. Is. So. Long.
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It’s beautiful out!!!
We got out for two walks yesterday and one so far today for a total of 2 hours
Total hours 2022= 22.5 hours
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Yesterday I forced toddler into the backyard for half an hour. The weather was iffy and he wasn’t into it. Today I did an hour hike between naps, and we’ll go in the backyard for the evening
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It’s been so nice out for the past couple of weeks. We’ve been eating dinner outside (backyard or local playground, or occasionally takeout at other playgrounds with daycare friends) almost every day so noone has to clean the floor afterwards and adults can (mostly) eat in peace. Win!!
I guess I wanted to log a fail from last month too. Spore woke up at 4am. By 6 we were bouncing off the walls so I bundled him up for a bike ride (which has been a great way to de-grumpify us in the past). He was very happy for 95% of it, dozed for an hour and alert for a little more. But 10 mins from the end he started absolutely wailing. I realized when we got home that he had lost a mitten and his pants had ridden up to his calves. It was “only” 45F but damp and chilly and felt like low thirties. All of the exposed skin was very chilled, it was hours til he fully warmed up. I felt so bad but am grateful it wasn’t worse.
The tick-killing and other ecological properties of deep freeze are much appreciated but it is definitely more relaxing to parent in mild weather.
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Ain’t that the truth. We managed another 3 hours over the weekend when it was relatively (compared to winter) nice out, but now it’s 30s and rainy for the next week. Spring is slow to come this year.
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We played outside for 15 minutes and then Pumpkin picked up a snail and smeared it across her face on purpose.
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Is that the kind of thing that can be deadly in Australia?
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Yesterday it was nice enough right away in the morning to go for a long walk and a quick playground stop at the end. Today it’s 30s again. I wouldn’t complain if this was February, but it’s almost the end of April.
This weekend should be nice again, though.
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As long as they haven’t eaten snail pellets in someone else’s garden, they’re fine, but I can’t be sure they haven’t. Also… I don’t know? And it’s SO GROSS and difficult to get off. This child is likely to stick it in her mouth and crunch the whole thing so I don’t want to pick shards of snail shell out of her mouth…
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I’m sure it’s gross in any country (though I’m laughing so hard at the mental image because it isn’t my kid), but Australian life forms do have somewhat of a…reputation.
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Oh yeah 
no, fortunately our common garden snails, at least, are not poisonous.
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Pipsqueak has been DEMANDING to go outside (after dinner, first thing in the morning, etc).
This morning we spent time watching the bees pollinate flowers just outside our condo.
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We’re staying at the coast for a couple of days. So so much time outside today. Especially because we couldn’t check in until 4pm. And then we walked to pickup dinner. Over 5 hours today, more to come tomorrow and the next day 
I drew the line at Latte wanting us to have our pizza on the beach- particularly because we had no smock, paper towels, etc. available, and the dog, and no dining surface. Sorry kid 
not enough emotional reservoir for that today.
ETA and the flowers were from some college kids doing a photo shoot, and they just left them there. Figured Latte could have impromptu flower arranging time.
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Lots of rambling ahead. We’ve gotten into a pattern and I’m not sure how to break out of it without putting in a lot more effort.
This morning was a failed attempt at getting Kiddo outside. After Mr. Meer did the grocery run I told Kiddo it was time for a screen break and did he want to go to a park. I even mentioned a couple different parks he’s liked in the past, but he had zero interest. Mr. Meer suggested going on a family bike ride, no dice. I went out in the backyard for a bit to look at the garden and found a ladybug to temp him outside (still in his favorite pajamas) and he ended up being outside for maybe twenty minutes? Then he went back inside to play independently.
Wins:
Quality time (we did some imaginative play initially)
He did get outside for twenty minutes even if it was just walking around the yard pretending to be a jedi
Independent play while Mr. Meer and I did other stuff unimpeded
But it still feels like a fail? I wanted to get Kiddo out to a playground where he’d run around and play with other kids and use his body, but that didn’t happen. If this was the first weekend of this pattern that’d be one thing, but it very much is not. I don’t know exactly why he’s against going out, maybe after going to school all week he just wants to sit around in his pajamas all day but he did that yesterday. And as the morning wore on my energy levels just dropped for no reason, I was fine earlier and now I could really use a nap so I definitely don’t feel up to fighting about leaving the house. One nice thing when he was a toddler was that he was almost always game to leave the house. Now he almost always prefers to stay home. I don’t expect that to improve as summer gets into full swing.
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A couple thoughts, from discussions I’ve read in the 1000 hours outside group.
One- patterns. Kids are pattern driven, and they respond to rhythms. If the pattern has been he stays inside, that’s what he’ll stay drawn to, and it takes a lot more effort to initially change the pattern.
Two- inertia. One of the most compelling reasons to limit screen time is that it tends to take the “wind from our sails” if you will.
Three- ease of escape lol. While it’s easier to do the backyard, the temptations of home are also RIGGGHT there. It can be best, especially when changing routines, to go somewhere further afield. Like a barn sour horse
Four- novelty. He’s old enough to be getting bored with places he’s been too much. Try to mix up the outside location, or activity. Print a scavenger hunt sheet, or take a favorite truck to a new park. Solo imaginative play is great but it can be hard to build steam to keep it going long term.
Hope some of that helps! Ignore what doesn’t, lol!
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Adding to this: I don’t give Duckling the option to turn off tv or leave the house. I might give him the option of this or that park. I’ve also found for us, “TV can be on between hour X and Y” is easier than “ok you can have X minutes of tv now”. I am better able to hold that as a boundary when tired. But we also use the X minutes when I am less tired.
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