I don't like letting my kids play outside

[Mom-ninja.]

during the day when we still have lessons to do.

 

When I let them play outside, they come back in and they smell. Yes, I'll say it. My kids come in stinky. They smell like sweaty dirt. They are also covered in dirt. Their feet are black with dirt. Dirt all over their hands and under their fingernails. Their clothes are dirty.

 

Frankly, I don't want them sitting on the furniture covered in sweat and dirt. I also don't want to smell them.

 

So do I not let them outside until lessons are done, or do I make them shower and change when they come in and factor that time as part of the break time?

[Hockey Mom]

No outside time until lessons are done here either. I wouldn't be able to get them to focus if allowed outside time. However, we are usually finished for the day by noon, so they eat lunch, then go outside.

[Laura Corin]

I send the boys running most days round the village or through the fields. When the come in, they walk through the utility room, where they dump any muddy clothes and wash their hands. They often get through two sets of clothes a day, but I see that as a healthy thing: they are using their bodies. Then they shower/bath at night. I find that the exercise break mid-morning helps with concentration.

 

My boys usually wear shoes outside - would insisting on shoes (which they could take off when they came home) make life easier for you?

 

Regards

 

Laura

[Dawn in OH]

My children also get sweaty and smelly outside playing. I've got one kid who sweats and smells if he even gets too upset. He's been like that since birth. He turns red and breaks into a sweat.

 

I also find it difficult to get them back to work after playtime. So now I just encourage getting our school work done timely so that we can have outside time after the work is finished.

[Sputterduck]

My son and I play on the beach every afternoon. When we go back inside we shower. Maybe you could move your shower for the day to after they have been outside.

[Mommyfaithe]

My boys are in the shower right now. Cubby has dirt behind his ears!!!! and in his hair...and oy! Hambone is a dirtball as well. They will shower, eat lunch, finish lessons...LOL!

 

Thay are so cute all dirty, but in no shape for the rest of our lessons.

 

~~Faithe

[Aubrey]

Mine aren't too smelly yet, but they're SPACEY when they come back in. By summer, we won't want to be outside past about 8AM anyway, so I've been thinking (once it gets hot) of letting them go outside first thing, maybe even eat b'fast out there, come in, bathe, & then do school.

 

I don't know, though. W/ that many obstacles to *starting*...probably not a good idea, lol.

[mom2jjka]

I don't like to send mine outside because as soon as I do, half the neighborhood kids appear in my yard within minutes and then I feel like I have to 'babysit'. :glare:

[lisamarie]

I so know the feeling. My DS comes in smelling like wet dog. It's disgusting. I usually make them finish school work before going outside, but in the winter when we got a really good snow, I'd let them play outside for an hour and then start school. They were much more refreshed and ready to go. I'm starting to wonder if maybe they need an early morning walk every day before doing schoolwork and hope a walk isn't enough to make DS smell. If not, into the shower.

 

My 2 year old is the dirt magnet and I just change her clothes, wash her hands and wait until after dinner to bathe her because she'll just get dirty again later.

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Mine aren't too smelly yet, but they're SPACEY when they come back in. By summer, we won't want to be outside past about 8AM anyway, so I've been thinking (once it gets hot) of letting them go outside first thing, maybe even eat b'fast out there, come in, bathe, & then do school.

 

I don't know, though. W/ that many obstacles to *starting*...probably not a good idea, lol.

 

Yep, this is us! We go outside in the morning for a nature walk and play. By 10am we are done. We all take a shower, then start.

[Melissa in Australia]

I would count the outside time as Physical Education. Boys in particular need to work off energy in fact I would say essential. if my kids were muddy, they would change. I would send them out after morning school, before afternoon school.

[Dawn in OH]

By summer, we won't want to be outside past about 8AM anyway, so I've been thinking (once it gets hot) of letting them go outside first thing, maybe even eat b'fast out there, come in, bathe, & then do school.

 

 

 

I was considering changing the summer schedule. We school year round. But I was thinking about sending them outside first thing before it gets too hot, while I deal with diapers and the morning routine for the 2 younger ones, and make breakfast. Then I could bring them in for showers and lessons, the two younger ones would probably be approaching nap time, or at least one of them would be.

 

Then we could do some outside time again after dinner since it would be cooling down again, showers and bedtime.

[tricia]

I completely agree. I too need to work on keeping them indoors until they are finished. Another problem I run into is "getting them back inside" the house after the freedom of being outside. :tongue_smilie:

[Aubrey]

I was considering changing the summer schedule. We school year round. But I was thinking about sending them outside first thing before it gets too hot, while I deal with diapers and the morning routine for the 2 younger ones, and make breakfast. Then I could bring them in for showers and lessons, the two younger ones would probably be approaching nap time, or at least one of them would be.

 

Then we could do some outside time again after dinner since it would be cooling down again, showers and bedtime.

 

Oooh...your dc are close to the same ages as mine. Good luck! :D

[EKS]

No outside time until lessons are over here too.

[LibraryLover]

We homeschool for the freedom. I can't imagine a 'no outside until' rule. Heck, being outside is one of the greatest learning gifts some of us give our children. Being outside is so important. Especially for young children.

[Mom-ninja.]

Mine aren't too smelly yet, but they're SPACEY when they come back in. By summer, we won't want to be outside past about 8AM anyway, so I've been thinking (once it gets hot) of letting them go outside first thing, maybe even eat b'fast out there, come in, bathe, & then do school.

 

 

 

I was considering changing the summer schedule. We school year round. But I was thinking about sending them outside first thing before it gets too hot, while I deal with diapers and the morning routine for the 2 younger ones, and make breakfast. Then I could bring them in for showers and lessons, the two younger ones would probably be approaching nap time, or at least one of them would be.

 

Then we could do some outside time again after dinner since it would be cooling down again, showers and bedtime.

 

I think I may try this. It is starting to get hot and soon it will be early morning and evening for outside play. Evenings aren't that good either because then there are a ton of mosquitos.

[MariannNOVA]

Haven't read the other responses but did find your dilemma interesting......interesting enough that I gave it thought while I was driving back and forth to lacrosse prax.

 

My ds smells like puppy when he goes out to play - beet red face, sweaty hair - IF they take enough of an outside break (and they love to go out and run around the yard) that they are 'fragrant,' I insist on quick baths or showers, clean clothes, and we go back to work.

 

Everyone showers and washes hair at night especially with lacrosse practice and the amount of pollen in the air.

 

When they were toddlers, they would come in after post lunch outside time, i would fill the big garden tub, put all three in, and everyone would go down for a nap nice and clean.

[Aubrey]

All these baths & showers--oh my! My little bathroom, sparkling clean, can stand up to my kids for under 5 min. So bathing all 4 of them can be done in...say 20-30 min. Then re-diaper, find clothes, comb hair. Maybe another 20-30 min. But cleaning up the mess in the bathroom afterward? Oh my gosh! I don't even want to go in there 5 min after the first set has gotten in the tub!

[Pretty in Pink]

I've always enjoyed the freedom to go outside whenever we like. Sure, I guess we smell like we've been outdoors when we come back in but it must not bother me very much. We do all wash up at the sink afterwards, and if the kids get too dirty I'm certainly not above handing them a change of play clothes before we get back to our lessons. We almost always head outdoors again in the evening though, so I don't ask them to shower mid-day unless we have an activity later in the day. I'm not going to show up with a stinky kid for swim class or something.

[Dawn in OH]

We homeschool for the freedom. I can't imagine a 'no outside until' rule. Heck, being outside is one of the greatest learning gifts some of us give our children. Being outside is so important. Especially for young children.

 

You know I said that at one point too, and then I discovered how slowly my children change gears. Maybe when they get a bit older and can switch from one thing to another a bit more quickly we can re-evaluate that rule.

[MariannNOVA]

All these baths & showers--oh my! My little bathroom, sparkling clean, can stand up to my kids for under 5 min. So bathing all 4 of them can be done in...say 20-30 min. Then re-diaper, find clothes, comb hair. Maybe another 20-30 min. But cleaning up the mess in the bathroom afterward? Oh my gosh! I don't even want to go in there 5 min after the first set has gotten in the tub!

 

OMH - I SO hear you!:lol:

[Mommyof4ks]

Right now they don't go out until after school is done, but we finish by lunch. Next month it will be hot in the afternoon, so we go out in the morning, take a bath and then do our school work. Sometimes running around for 20 minutes calms them down enough to focus though.

[frogpond1]

My ds 8 has to go outside and play. Without the exercise he would be a mush brain. I have 3 boys and they play outside, but usually shooting hoops or running the dog around the yard. We usually break near lunch though. We wash hands here, but boys are boys. A few rules about what they can or cannot do helps.

[Ravin]

We do some of our lessons on our back patio on nice days. Maybe you could do lessons outside after outside playtime?

 

Of course, my DD being an only is minimally interested in playing outside until the neighborhood kids are out there--usually around 3:30 at the soonest.

[Spy Car]

I'd take a stinky kid over one who is out-of-shape any day.

 

Bill

[Jean in Newcastle]

Perhaps our temperate weather discourages excessive sweating or perhaps my kids do not exert themselves too much, but my kids can handle a 15 - 20 min. recess outside (usually on scooters or running around "shooting" each other) without getting muddy or sweaty. I have them get a glass of water and wash their hands when they come in, but that's it. Then it's back to the books.

[lotsofpumpkins]

Our problem with playing outside isn't necessarily stinky children, but MUDDY children. My 3 year old likes to turn on the water faucet outside and make mud puddles, which no one seems to be able to resist. If I stay inside to work in the kitchen or do the laundry, it's almost a guarantee they will get filthy. (I keep an eye on them through the kitchen window, but since we live in a very rural area, I don't have to hover over them). It takes a lot of time for 5 children to get bathed and re-dressed, and I don't want to have to deal with that mid-morning! So, I have them jump on the mini-trampoline during quick school breaks, and we try to get our work done by lunch, or at least shortly thereafter. Then they can get dirty if they want to! If we have an activity for school that requires us to go outside, we save it for after lunch (for example, using a magnifying glass to melt a hole in a chocolate bar).

[LibraryLover]

You know I said that at one point too, and then I discovered how slowly my children change gears. Maybe when they get a bit older and can switch from one thing to another a bit more quickly we can re-evaluate that rule.

 

 

For us it was the oppostie. I found my kids benefited from more outside time, not less. I find that little ones like to move, and older kids start to have deeper interests that keep them still longer. I honestly didn't want anything to interfere with their 'nature' time, which has served them well, given they are mature and excited learners to this day. They had a lot of time to explore, and not changing gears a lot enbabled them to focus on interests, and develop long attention spans. I used to say that my oldest dd could make a parade out of dust. My 10 yr old sees projects through from start to finish. It doesn't matter what it is, she gets it done. I still make sure she has a lot of outside time. Sometimes, if she is slowing down, or seeming glum, or she starts rubbing her eyes from 'too much' reading, I send her outside to refresh. Often, she will come back in after an hour or so in the yard, or with the animals, a walk with the dog, or a bike ride with a sib, and come back totally refreshed.

 

lol Anyway, that's my theory why none of my kids have deep interests; they really had *time*. I also think playing in mud is far more productive for a small child than sitting and doing a coloring sheet, fi. I mean, making mud is doing science, if you need a reason to accept the muddy parts of childhood. :)

Edited April 10, 2010 by LibraryLover

[IsabelC]

I think all kids need a good does of muck-around-outside time, but it probably varies from one family to the next as to when the best time to do it is. I prefer to have dirty outside playtime later in the day so that they don't come it, bath, put on clean clothes, and then go out and do it all again.

[Mom-ninja.]

I'd take a stinky kid over one who is out-of-shape any day.

 

Bill

 

Agreed. No one is saying they want to keep their kid from playing and running outside. I was complaining about the time it takes to clean them back up in order to get back to lessons, and how to manage that.

[Aubrey]

Our problem with playing outside isn't necessarily stinky children, but MUDDY children. My 3 year old likes to turn on the water faucet outside and make mud puddles, which no one seems to be able to resist. If I stay inside to work in the kitchen or do the laundry, it's almost a guarantee they will get filthy. (I keep an eye on them through the kitchen window, but since we live in a very rural area, I don't have to hover over them). It takes a lot of time for 5 children to get bathed and re-dressed, and I don't want to have to deal with that mid-morning! So, I have them jump on the mini-trampoline during quick school breaks, and we try to get our work done by lunch, or at least shortly thereafter. Then they can get dirty if they want to! If we have an activity for school that requires us to go outside, we save it for after lunch (for example, using a magnifying glass to melt a hole in a chocolate bar).

 

I hadn't made the distinction, but this is IT. Half our yard is dirt. No grass. They think "outside" means "go dig in the dirt." There is little physical activity to it most of the time. You go to change baby, & his diaper looks like 2yo followed him around pouring dirt in until it wouldn't hold. (Hmm...I wonder?) :lol:

[LibraryLover]

I think that kids who find themselves in the dirt need to be dirty. Kids who are serious about books and such, will be thinking about books and such.

 

Ime, kids who are interested in books and such, will not dive into mud straight away.

 

If a kid is delightfully covered in mud, the mud is what he needs.