Outside Play in the Cold with BABIES??

[MommyMuffin]

Yes your right blackcat, different areas see the weather so differently. 30 degrees is a nice day to me.

Thank you everyone for your advice. Here is what I am thinking...my dc space is on the bottom floor, there are 2 windows which look out into the front yard. Since there will be snow on the ground I wont have toddlers running to the streets so I will bring the kids out there. (Normally I bring them in the fenced in back yard but the snow piles wont allow me to even open the gate.)
I can bring a baby monitor and I can hear them and looking into the window I can "see" them!!! So then I wont be breaking the rules. And I will try to take them out at am nap time so the infants will hopefully be sleeping.

2nd family Dc I love your scenerio of "outside" time. Most of the time is spent getting everyone ready and keeping the peace. That is why we are awesome, right!!

[Meyou]

Another thing I do when it is really cold is open the garage door and let the kids ride cars in the garage. They're out of the worst of the wind but get some fresh air and exercise.

[MommyMuffin]

Another thing I do when it is really cold is open the garage door and let the kids ride cars in the garage. They're out of the worst of the wind but get some fresh air and exercise.

Hey great idea!! If only my husband would allow me! He has his precious toys in there. But maybe I will talk to him about it.

[nannyde]

I have always felt it is a problem taking older kids outside when I have an infant. This is how it goes at my house.
Have all the kids go to the bathroom before getting ready to go out.
Begin getting kids ready to go out. Takes a good 1/2 hour to get everyone ready.
Older kids are sweating by the time I get the younger ones bundled up.
Then a toddler or infant poops.
Now gotta go change a diaper. Meanwhile everyone is roasting and acting up.
Ok, finally got the diaper changed and kid bundled up again.
Out we go.
Someone steps into a pile of snow and their boot comes off. Now they are crying because their boot is off and their sock is soaked.
Another kid is crying because their mitten came off and their hand is freezing.
And so it goes.
After being outside for less then 10 minutes I have kids crying, they are cold and they want to go inside.
So it takes at least a half hour to get ready to go out and we spend 10 minutes or less outside and then it a good 20 - 30 minutes to unbundle them and get their gear all put away and dried off.
SO NOT WORTH IT TO ME! It is one rule I do not care for in the winter months.

I love this

I have a helper and I can say without equivocation that the winter walk is the single most expensive activity I do in my business. We have a heck of a system that brings down the time it takes to get them bundled, unbundled, and stuff put away but it costs me a fortune.

We go out for a 45 minute minimum walk every day the weather is between 20-80 degrees as long as it isn't raining or the sidewalks aren't slick. Everyone goes out. We bundle the infants in full winter layered gear and blankets.

When it's over eighty we stay in so we miss more days in the summer than we do in the winter.

[Meyou]

For anyone with mitten problems these are great! http://www.lbow.com/mittens.html

There are several brands on the market now and they are getting more inexpensive every year. They NEVER come off...not even with the most determined toddler using their teeth, they're waterproof and really warm. I heart them.

I recommend them to my parents and most have purchased them over the past few years especially when they see them in action.

ETA: There are also brands that fit inside the jacket but have a sleeve attached to the mitt that goes up past the elbow. They work just as well.

[AnneCordelia]

Those look awesome....lbow mittens! I'm bookmarking that and plan to put the link on my October newsletter for my parents!