Kids Getting "Too Much" Exercise?

[queenbee]

This morning, a DCD said he saw on his daughter's daily report that we walked to the park yesterday morning. He said he didn't know I had any parks in my neighborhood.

I said: "We don't. We walk to park name." Park Name is a 25-30 minute walk and is the closest park to us.

He was SHOCKED that his daughter, who is almost 2.5yo, walked 1 hour twice, sometimes three days a week to the park.

"No wonder she sleeps for the whole nap here!" - was his reply comment.

This family has been with me almost a year and has always gotten reports about waking to the park. My kids only ride in the stroller until 18-20 months.

Since when is exercise a bad thing? We are a very active group and my kids in my daycare get a lot of exercise for their little bodies.

How exercise has changed over the years.

[EchoMom]

I take my toddlers on walks almost every day too. Our walks are 35 min which we did for a couple months starting at 20months (that's how young they were when they started with me). Now we also walk to the park which is not close but close enough to walk to. We do the same thing, it takes 45-60min each way to get to the park AND they play at the park! But they CAN do it and are FINE! The parents have never asked how far we're walking but I tell them on their note LONG walk.

[BumbleBee]

i hear ya

I was a nanny for a family with an 18 month old girl. We used to take a walk around the block every day. Since she was my only charge I let her set the pace. I always took the umbrella stroller just in case but she never sat in it, just pushed it. We did this for 3 months and never had an issue. Grandma found out (not that I was trying to hide it I just never saw her.) And flipped out. Crying and talking about her poor baby and how her legs must hurt so bad from being forced to walk that far. :confused: Grandma then tried to convince me to dope the kid up on motrin every day to "keep her legs from hurting."

Currently I have a prospective parent who is upset that we will be walking to the elementary school 2 times a day to drop off and pick up the school agers. The school is 4 short blocks away. The kid is 3.5 years old.

I don't get it. I really don't.

[jojosmommy]

I agree. I have a 2 yr old who will walk to and from the park everyday. 1 long block there and 1 long block back. One day she threw a nasty fit when we were leaving to go to the park (basically a 2 yr old tantrum). She tantrumed the whole way to the park and the whole way back, and for about 30 minutes when we got home. When I told dad that if she did that (unecessarry long fit for no reason) again she would need to be picked up he was shocked that I would "MAKE" his princess walk to the park in the first place. "Can't you put her in the wagon, so she doesn't have to walk that far?" NO

No wonder people are obese.

[daycare]

my reply would have been we can sit on the sofa and watch tv all day eating cookies if you prefer........




I have has this complain in the past as well, I tell the parents well this is what we do, take it or leave it....

[Meyou]

I go over how active we are in the interview. I tell prospective clients that by the time they're 2-2.5 years they can walk several KM at a time with me and do regularly. Some people are surprised, some don't like it at all and some love it. I always have the wagon but once they start to walk they are out more than in.

[AnneCordelia]

I haven't had a parent complain about that yet! I am very forward about our outside time from the first interview. We do four miles a day on our school run and children who are 18mo+ get the opportunity to walk. We also hit a park a few times a week, and spend our afternoons in the back yard. It's good for them! I was always bone tired as a kid from days spent outside...

[cheerfuldom]

I have had a very few parents that have inquired about my daycare that were NOT okay with me taking a walk or even going in the backyard. weird....

but most parents I think are very pleased to know there child is being active, getting fresh air, having a healthy lifestyle from a very young age. I would never stop taking daily walks or outdoor time because I need that too! Our walk to the park is about 15 minutes.

I do have many parents that are shocked that I do not put 2 or 3 year olds in the strollers (many kids walk from 18 months on or even younger). I think that is more about parents thinking kids will run off or be wild if not restrained, but I have never had that happen once (knock on wood)

[MizzCheryl]

weel I am jealous. I wish we had places to walk in our area. No side walks and parks cannot be walked to safely. We have a nice backyard play ground but I would love to give my daycare kids a good 2 mile or so walk a day. I know when I walk daily I have so much more energy and my moods are better. This Dad is just being silly. You are doing something so good for his daughter.

[Springdaze]

I could see them being concerned about safety (not saying you arent safe) but not about the actual walking. We will be walking half a mile to my kids school and back at least 3 times a day if its not raining so MY kids can go to the playground program. Maybe Ill lose some weight!

[Lilbutterflie]

We live in a neighborhood that has multiple parks, each one being about a half mile away from our house! It's about a 20 minute walk each way to any one of the parks. I am upfront with parents that I LOVE to have the kids outdoors as much as possible & we go on 3-4 walks per week, and they have all been very happy that their child is active and getting fresh air each day! Thank goodness! I would be upset if any of the parents didn't want their child to walk to the park, they wouldn't fit in here at all!

I usually wait until the child is two before letting them walk on their own. I also would have to be sure they listen well and know our walking rules VERY WELL before I trust them to walk on their own. Our walking rules include:

1-Stay in front of me so I can see you
2-Stay with the group
3-Walk on the sidewalk- no grass and no street (of course)
4-Stop at any curbs & wait for me- we look both ways and cross the street together! All of the streets we cross are slow neighborhood streets with little traffic.

[Hunni Bee]

Crying and talking about her poor baby and how her legs must hurt so bad from being forced to walk that far. :confused: Grandma then tried to convince me to dope the kid up on motrin every day to "keep her legs from hurting".

Do people ever just stop and listen to themselves when they talk? :confused::confused:

weel I am jealous. I wish we had places to walk in our area. No side walks and parks cannot be walked to safely. We have a nice backyard play ground but I would love to give my daycare kids a good 2 mile or so walk a day. I know when I walk daily I have so much more energy and my moods are better. This Dad is just being silly. You are doing something so good for his daughter.

Im in the same boat. Were on a VERY busy cross-town street. We have a playground in walking distance, but we have to cross that street. Puts a damper on a lot of ideas I have.

[Zoe]

I lost a long term family because grandma heard that we walk to my daughter's school a mile away and back, with a stop at the playground in between. She thought it was too much for her little precious who would rather eat fruit roll-ups and chocolate milk from a bottle for breakfast at 3 years old, almost 4 and watch spongebob all day.

Grandma twisted dad's arm to get the kids to stay with her all summer and I doubt they'll be back. Honestly, I say good riddance. Not to the kids, they were wonderful and I'll really miss them. But I hated the passive aggressiveness from grandma who dropped them off. You could tell she didn't want her grandkids at daycare and when she heard we were going for walks that was the last straw.

Sorry that was a vent. Anyway! To the OP, there will be parents who might not consider doing the things that we do, but it's your business! I don't think the kids walking as much as your dcks do is too much. If you go at a nice pace for them, take breaks, give them water, don't push anyone who has a disability, etc you're good!

[lil angels]

So then turn around and ask the parents what they are doing to get the kid exercise at night if you shouldn't be doing it. That is crazy the more outside time the BETTER.

[SilverSabre25]

I don't know why, after almost 2 years on this site, some things still surprise me.

But, they do.

It's crrrazy and a good example of why there's such a health crisis in our country. (I'm not harping on obesity; you can be plenty unhealthy and have a perfect BMI or you can have an awful BMI and in all other areas come out pretty healthy).