Forced outdoor play

[Lisa1970]

My older boys stay inside all the time and whine when I ask anything of them. They just to play computer. By the time the whining is over the top, it is over 100 degrees. The seven yr old is the worst. He whines all day long, says he wants new toys, throws tantrums, etc.


SO, I think I have a good solution. I am putting them on a predictable schedule that includes outdoor time. I forced all out at ten am. They come back in at 11am. They clean up and then we all stay in the kitchen area until we have lunch and clean up. It is too hot for anymore outdoor time for the rest of the day, but after lunch is reading quiet time.

What do you think? The 7 yr old thinks this is killing him. I think he will live and get over it. I hope with scheduling stuff, he will move beyond the constant tantrums. Anyone else using a schedule with their children and all?

[Alyantavid]

No, but I have no problem at all kicking my kids outside to play.  Games, movies, tv, etc is pretty much out in the summer except for movie night and some Saturday morning cartoons.

[Spirit Dancer]

Haha! I "boot" my children outside everyday though many times they do want to go out on thier own. If it is nice out and you are driving me nuts ie whining or you are too hyper out you go. I also schedule time they go out. An hour sounds very resonable. I am not mean about it. If they were crying for example I would not force them but that hardly ever happen anyway. I personally believe that outdoor free play is crucial to proper child development. If you keep it up for a few days it does get easier.

[seaheroine]

Originally Posted by Spirit Dancer 

I personally believe that outdoor free play is crucial to proper child development.

ITA.  I'm forcing my two outside each day @ 7:00am, breakfast in hand LOL.  We come in around tenish, when it's starting to get really hot.  No complaining yet (they turn it into a water-play session each day), but when they're older, I plan on doing the boot too. 

[Chicky2]

I've never ever had to force my kids outside. They love it!  Of course, right now they aren't loving watering the livestock several times each day because of the extreme heat.  But they get to swim each day, too, so they deal with it.  Right now, they go out to tend to livestock, no matter what the temp.  Just has to be done.  Each evening they go out to do livestock chores again and then usually end up w/a bunch of the neighbor kids over, playing in the water, jumping on the trampoline (usually includes a hose, lol), and swinging or climbing trees, or whathaveyou.  If they whined about outside time I would probably make sure their outside time was twice as long, but that's just me.  I'm a hardass that way.  ;o)

[funkymamajoy]

That's pretty much our schedule too. When its cooler, they got back outside after lunch. I turn off the tv, the computer and the video games. Eventually, they get bored and go outside.

[4evermom]

I'll set up a slip n slide or something to make playing outside a bit more attractive but I don't force it.  It's not much fun playing outside by yourself...  When the weather is decent, I'll suggest going on a bike ride together.  Ds doesn't always jump at the idea but I time the suggestion so he can mull on it for a bit.  He'll frequently tell me he wants to go 1/2 hour later.  And I'll do things like take ds to a lake an hour away once in a while.  But no, I don't schedule or force outside time.

[mommy212]

Do it! :) I think kicking them out to play is great

[nextcommercial]

Originally Posted by mommy212 

Do it! :) I think kicking them out to play is great

Me too!

[phathui5]

We had a schedule like that when I did home childcare. It seemed to be good for the kids to have a daily routine.

[purplerose]

I don't do schedules or kick the kids outside. It was done to me as a child and I hated it, I felt like mom didn't want me around. It seems weird to kick kids out of their own home. I do turn off the tv and have the kids find things to do. The older ones like to walk around the neighborhood and the little one will go outside some. She plays softball so she does get exercise. Right now the heat index is over 100F so I don't expect anyone to go out! When they go walking it's usually around 8pm after it's cooled off some. In the Spring, Fall and most of Winter they play outside way more than they do now.

[beanma]

How often do you get out of the house as a family, or how often do the older kids get to have playdates? Maybe he's just bored hanging around the house. I know my kids (7 & 10) get bored hanging around the house too much. They had a half day camp that they loved last week,  but we're wide open this week so I've got to schedule some playdates and other activities. We might go to the museum (if it's not too hot — there's an outside portion) and I'm sure we'll spend a lot of time at our neighborhood pool. I wouldn't force my kids outside, but I might make it attractive for them by inviting a friend over or going to the pool, etc. We spend a lot of time outside, but we're having that heatwave that everybody's under so I'm not going to make them go outside when the heat index is 115. My kids are actually not very scheduled and love to play together at home, but after about 1 or at most 2 solid days at home (not getting out and running errands, not having friends over) they start to go stir crazy and get on each others' nerves, plus wreck the house. You can always suggest that your kids go outside, or if they want to stay inside they can help you clean the bathroom and scrub the toilet. If I threaten mine with cleaning that usually does the trick, but sometimes they actually enjoy cleaning the bathroom, so it's win-win!

hth

[One_Girl]

We have things we do together in the mornings but I don't kick my dd out of the house to play.  I am not opposed to kicking kids out if you have enough kids for them to entertain each other and a water bottle for each one.  It just doesn't seem right to kick one child out in a neighborhood with not many kids around.  They may be more willing to go outside if you limit the tv inside to after lunch time only, give suggestions for activities but don't rescue them from boredom, and put a bunch of toys outside for them to use there only.   

[meemee]

i want dd to appreciate the outdoors. not hate it because mommy said so (dd is strong willed so while other kids are ok with mom kicking them out, dd would not be). 

however i dont kick her out. i never have. because her personality is doing things over time focused on one activity. so she'll stay home and watch tv, play games or whatever seh does inside for a couple of days. and then she will go out and then starts the parade of kids in and out of the house.

so i have never had to kick dd out. somehow that just messes me up.

when dd was younger she whined. so we would go to the river. she whined she didnt want to go and then at the river she whined she didnt want to go back home. 

dd is not a passionate outdorsy girl. and i have discovered its coz she hasnt been with the right people. if the people show her how cool stuff is she totally gets into it. she does not really like the backyard unless i start something for her. 

however this summer i havent had problems with technology. its books. i've had to curtail her reading time. she reads way too much. but then i dont send her out. we go for a walk in the neighbourhood to see if the fruit on public land are ripe enough to pick. we go pick blackberries, raspberries. 

[Alyantavid]

Originally Posted by meemee 

i want dd to appreciate the outdoors. not hate it because mommy said so (dd is strong willed so while other kids are ok with mom kicking them out, dd would not be). 

however i dont kick her out. i never have. because her personality is doing things over time focused on one activity. so she'll stay home and watch tv, play games or whatever seh does inside for a couple of days. and then she will go out and then starts the parade of kids in and out of the house.

so i have never had to kick dd out. somehow that just messes me up.

when dd was younger she whined. so we would go to the river. she whined she didnt want to go and then at the river she whined she didnt want to go back home. 

dd is not a passionate outdorsy girl. and i have discovered its coz she hasnt been with the right people. if the people show her how cool stuff is she totally gets into it. she does not really like the backyard unless i start something for her. 

however this summer i havent had problems with technology. its books. i've had to curtail her reading time. she reads way too much. but then i dont send her out. we go for a walk in the neighbourhood to see if the fruit on public land are ripe enough to pick. we go pick blackberries, raspberries. 

What you're describing is my version of "kicking my kids out".  I don't think anyone's locking the door on them while they cry to get back in. 

[meemee]

Originally Posted by Alyantavid 

What you're describing is my version of "kicking my kids out".  I don't think anyone's locking the door on them while they cry to get back in. 

AHA!!! when i think of kick out i think patting the kid out the screen door asking them to 'go play'. if i did that to dd she would be furious. however all i have to say is hey i'm going to do <this> wanna come? and she'll come along happily. maybe she'd say can we go in half an hour coz this chapter is way too interesting. 
 

[Chicky2]

Originally Posted by meemee 

AHA!!! when i think of kick out i think patting the kid out the screen door asking them to 'go play'. if i did that to dd she would be furious. however all i have to say is hey i'm going to do <this> wanna come? and she'll come along happily. maybe she'd say can we go in half an hour coz this chapter is way too interesting. 
 

See, we wouldn't do that,either.  When I say if they complained I'd make their outside time way longer, I mean it, but we have tons to do outside.  If they were crying or something of course they'd get to come in for awhile, lol.  But then they'd be strongly encouraged to go back out in a bit.  I also wouldn't "kick them out" for longer than necessary right now while the heat is so bad.  Ours do not have a choice as to whether or not they want to water the livestock, since that is a life or death situation, but they come back in during the heat of the day right now as much as they want.  I will not have my kids as sick as I've been w/heat exhaustion (I didn't have a choice-we're beekeepers and had jobs to do).  As soon as it is cooling down (um, it was 100 at midnight the other night so it's not really cooling now, it just gets dark), out they go for more chores and then play.

Some kids do need more direction.  I am fortunate that my oldest dd is a fantastic outdoor "guide" of sorts for kids.  She loves taking them into the woods and teaching them about plants, trees, rocks, lots of good science-y stuff and she makes it really fun for them.  She has Aspergers and is really able to still get down to their level while also having a very good understanding of the whys of things.  Also, we live in the country so who could possibly get bored w/all the woods and animals and such?
 

Edited by Chicky2 - 7/26/11 at 11:53am