How Important is a backyard for Toddler/Prek especially w/ homeschooling?

[Bookaddict]

HI Everyone,

 

My husband and I plus our three kids ages 3 weeks, 2.5 years and 4 years old are planning a move across the country to Ohio in about 4 months when our lease is up. We can buy and want to eventually but were weary of finding the right house from across the country! We thought why not move there and rent a townhouse/apartment for a year or two until we are good and ready and can really get a feel for the area and find a great house at a great price.

 

The apartments/townhomes we see online obviously have no backyard but are surrounded by grass, trees and open space. I have a friend who lives in the area and she did say parks are plentiful around the town. Our current rental has a backyard and hardly a day passes where the kids don't go out. They love it and are totally outdoorsy kids, digging, playing, sliding and running. And now with a newborn it has come quite in handy that it is "in our own backyard" rather than a park nearby. 

 

How important or unimportant is this?

 

Thanks!

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

It's relative. Millions of happy kids grow up in, say, Manhattan, where you GO to a park or outdoor space. Millions more are happy on farms and ranches. I doubt it's about size, but about maintaining access, even if that has to ba a scheduled time, like "let's all go to the park!"

 

Our yard 150x50 lot seems small to me, but huge to DW, who had a 12x12 piece of grass is Philly.

[Shellydon]

For us, it it totally essential.  We live in a climate where it is cold 6 weeks or so a year.  When my kids are stuck in the house during that time, they drive me crazy.  We have an acre back yard and I love it.  They play outside many hours each day, we have a garden, lots of potted planted and a cut flower garden.  I would not want to have to leave the house and supervise playtime at the park for 3 or 4 hours everyday.  I like being able to send them out back and mop the floors or cook dinner.

[rzberrymom]

When we were dealing with a move, a friend encouraged us to find the best yard/natural spaces because homeschooling means these spaces become your laboratory. I am so glad I listened to her. :)

[stripe]

I have a smallish outdoor area that is partially fenced in, and has room for a small garden and a patio. One cannot "do" much of anything there besides sit at the table. We also have lots of common areas that are child-friendly where they play with friends. I don't send toddlers to play by themselves, but I do let my elementary school kids play outside without me, which they mostly do NOT do in my backyard. We have other parks within walking and driving distance. My kids have MORE room to play than I would have if I had a house with my own yard, unless I lived out in a rural area, in which case they would lose out on other things we currently have, including, possibly most appealingly, other kids to play with. I do not think it's a big deal to have a small backyard if you have other places to stretch your legs.

[Chris in VA]

I love it, but it's not essential to every kid and every family.

 

I think you make good points in your own post, esp about going places with a newborn--so much more convenient to let the kids play in their own yard than to go somewhere. 

[marbel]

I have found it essential for my family, but I know a lot of families who don't.  It really depends on your family.  I didn't feel I have the time or inclination to go to the park every day when my kids were young but plenty of people do that.   I guess you could say I needed the yard!   This is really one of those YMMV things.

[JustEm]

Its not essential but it is certainly nice. If you are looking at townhomes consider an end unit.  We live in an end unit and have the side and back yard fenced in.  It is plenty of yard for now and we have 2 medium dogs and 3 kids ages 5,3.5, and 1.  

[reign]

It is important for us. I like to be outside for hours in the summer. I like being able to send the kids outside to play. I have a friend nearby who has never had a back yard and is perfectly happy.

[Jackie]

I think it depends on the kids. We're looking to change rentals this summer, and a backyard is completely negotiable for us. Our town has a lot of parks and walking trails. I would prefer to not have a backyard personally, as it just adds more chores to my life to maintain it. My husband would like to be able to garden but will give it up easily enough if we budget for money to spend at the farmer's market. My daughter says she wants a backyard, but in reality she goes out to play for maybe an average of five minutes a day and her yard toys almost never get touched.

 

I'll only miss the backyard when it snows - I hate the cold and it is nice to let my daughter get her fill of the snow without actually having to go out in it myself.

[Rosie_0801]

It's essential for my son, to the point where I don't think my aunt would let me move out of here back to the suburbs even if I wanted to! My daughter would be just as happy, if not happier in a flat in the city.

 

 

[rebbyribs]

It's lovely to have a backyard when one or more kids is too sick to take to a playground, but one or more kids has a lot of energy to burn off.

[Farrar]

Meh. Having limited outdoor space means we were at the parks more, interacting and meeting people, and just generally being creative about using the city and the green spaces. So assuming you have nearby playgrounds and nature areas, I vote not essential.

[msrift]

We really love our backyard, and with multiple little ones, I don't know if I could stand to be without one for long. Yes, we could go to the park or whatnot, but it just makes life so much easier to say 'go outside' and not to have to wait for the baby to wake up, or for everyone to agree on when/where/how to go to the park, or to drag the kids back inside because you have to prep something for dinner, or haul everyone to bathroom when nature calls, etc. 

I vote the back yard makes things easy, but is not essential, especially if it is a very temporary situation.

[Starr]

You can make it work either way for a couple of years. I liked taking them to the park from the time they were born. It was nice to get out of the house. By school age we had a big yard, trees and lilac hedges to play in.

[katilac]

Essential for me. 

 

We have a park right down the street, but no matter how much time we spent there, my kids spent tons more time playing in our backyard. Our yard is fenced, and you can see the yard easily from both the living room and kitchen (sliding glass door and big windows), so I could fold laundry and watch them  :thumbup1:

 

Even if you spend 3 hours per day at a local park, that leaves a LOT of hours when the kids can't be outside. And the most dedicated of park visitors will find that hard to pull off consistently, when you take into consideration the baby's nap, the weather, somebody being sick, etc. 

 

I certainly hear you about wanting to take the time to find the right house to BUY, but why not rent a house now instead of an apartment? You have outdoorsy kids who will entertain themselves outside; there isn't much that would make me give that up!  I hate moving, so personally I would probably just suck it up and make the best choice I could for buying now. You have several months, and friends in the area who can give you lots of info, so I would at least look around. 

 

Side note: a security camera setup is pretty cheap, and helpful for anyone who doesn't have windows overlooking their yard. 

[Mergath]

I'd have to go with "meh."  Unless you live on several acres, most yards are just a grassy square with maybe a tree or two.  We live in a duplex and so we have a yard, but I don't know how dd could have played out there for more than an hour at a stretch without ending up bored out of her mind.  You can only look at dirt and earthworms for so long. ;)  I'd be more concerned with living close to parks and nature-y spaces.  But then, I only have one kid and I don't mind spending a lot of time outside and walking to the park, so ymmv.

[Korrale]

I haven't read the comments yet but I do have to laugh. My first answer was that it depends where you live. And I thought that where I live it doesn't matter as much as I initially thought that it did! And... I live in central Ohio.

Winters are cold and snowy, spring is often wet and muddy, summer becomes muggy. Fall is the best time of the year to be outside but there is a lot of yard work in the fall due to everyone's leaves.

 

I do think an outdoor space is necessary though. But access to good parks, hiking trails, and even sidewalks or quiet streets where one can walk are much more favorable to me now. A lot of a ohiio has some really nice paved trails that connect many towns. They are often on the old rail lines. Ohio had many natural parks all over the state also.

 

My other shock about moving from NV to Ohio was that the yards are seldom fenced in. And it is common here to people to just walk through other peoples yards. I don't like it.

 

I must say though... If I had my preference I would have acreage in the country. But I am surrounded by fields in my little town so we just run in the fields. We do have a small, un fenced backyard. But other than summer evenings we don't get to use it as much as I would like. We often do dinner outside.

 

I think in Ohio a big basement is better.

[Mergath]

My other shock about moving from NV to Ohio was that the yards are seldom fenced in. And it is common here to people to just walk through other peoples yards. I don't like it.

 

The people that live on our block do this, and it drives me nuts!  We were outside in the yard grilling once, and this guy that lived down the street just strolled through our yard, three feet away from us.  I said, "Um, can I help you?" and he was like, "Nope."  So I chased him through the yard yelling at him.  :lol:   If he still cuts through our yard, he hasn't done it again while I've been out there.

[Korrale]

The people that live on our block do this, and it drives me nuts! We were outside in the yard grilling once, and this guy that lived down the street just strolled through our yard, three feet away from us. I said, "Um, can I help you?" and he was like, "Nope." So I chased him through the yard yelling at him. :lol: If he still cuts through our yard, he hasn't done it again while I've been out there.

No idea why people think that is okay! Drives my dog bonkers. He only barks when someone comes on our property. My neighbors daughter who's lives behind us does it. She is a preteen. I have told her for years not to do it, as it is trespassing. But she still does. I told her I don't mind if she cuts through our yard to come to our house. But not the neighbours beside us.

[Melissa in Australia]

for this family a fenced yard was a necessity. we live on 5 acres, but have a fenced yard attached to the house for when the children were little. They spent the majority of each day out playing from the age of 8 months onwards.

 

 

I never understand the US thing of not having fences on their yards :confused1:

[Korrale]

for this family a fenced yard was a necessity. we live on 5 acres, but have a fenced yard attached to the house for when the children were little. They spent the majority of each day out playing from the age of 8 months onwards.

 

 

I never understand the US thing of not having fences on their yards :confused1:

Not everywhere has yards without fences. When I lived in NV the fences were cinder block walls it was kind of nice that way. Good fences, good neighbours so Frost said. :)

[marbel]

I never understand the US thing of not having fences on their yards :confused1:

 

Not really a US thing. More regional, in my experience.

 

In the neighborhood we live in now, some houses have fences, some don't. We chose a house with a fence but would have put one up anyway, since we were planning on getting a dog.  It's only a 4-foot high chain link, though. I'd prefer a privacy fence, which is what I'm used to, though privacy isn't really a big problem for us now that the kids are older (and our neighbors rarely use their back yards).    In my experience living on both east and west coasts, it seems westerners are more prone to fences. 

[stripe]

No idea why people think that is okay! Drives my dog bonkers. He only barks when someone comes on our property. My neighbors daughter who's lives behind us does it. She is a preteen. I have told her for years not to do it, as it is trespassing. But she still does. I told her I don't mind if she cuts through our yard to come to our house. But not the neighbours beside us.

I have a high school boy who smokes right next to my house (which is a public area) and uses my fence for target practice. Including after 9 pm in the summers. He is very nice when asked to stop, mind you. 

 

I think the fences has to do with the housing style. There is a particular, more recent type of housing in complexes where the houses are close together, where people don't have fences. I think people in regular single family houses typically DO have fences.  I do not live in a regular single family house, and I honestly think, for me, I am better for it. My kids definitely benefit from all the common areas where I live, and kids who roam around and play outside.

[Ottakee]

Back yards are certainly nicer than park for letting little ones out for short periods of time. 

 

Could you rent for 6 months while you look?  That way you could be in your own place sooner.  If it is a smaller town/city I think that in 6 months you would get a good idea of traffic for dh to commute to work, where you want to shop, go to church, etc. to give you some target areas to look.

 

On the fences----if you are going to want one, check the local zoning rules and/or HOA rules before buying.  Many HOA will not allow a fence or only a certain size/style/height, etc.  Some zoning rules are sticklers on fences too, others could care less.

[Ottakee]

Back yards are certainly nicer than park for letting little ones out for short periods of time. 

 

Could you rent for 6 months while you look?  That way you could be in your own place sooner.  If it is a smaller town/city I think that in 6 months you would get a good idea of traffic for dh to commute to work, where you want to shop, go to church, etc. to give you some target areas to look.

 

On the fences----if you are going to want one, check the local zoning rules and/or HOA rules before buying.  Many HOA will not allow a fence or only a certain size/style/height, etc.  Some zoning rules are sticklers on fences too, others could care less.

[fourisenough]

We recently got rid of our backyard play structure because nobody used it at all. We live on a 50x150 city lot in a neighborhood with sidewalks and many small and a couple large parks. When my kids play outdoors, they exclusively want to go around the block to a small park. So, I'd say having your own yard isn't critical if you have outdoor space nearby. Based on your kids ages, they can't play outdoors without supervision anyway.

[ZeeMommy]

Use all available resources!  Get a backyard when you get your house, but fence it if you can.  We have five acres, and the kids go out to play when the weather is nice, but it would be nice to have them a little more "contained", especially if they need to be outside and I still have things to do inside.  Actually I've wished for a gate on our deck, so I could have them play without going too far.  But here in Minnesota, especially right now (where it's minus too-freaking-cold degrees), outside is not really an option, at least not for long on some days.  We have a mini-trampoline, which all three of them jump on every day, even during school time.  And occasionally they'll run loops around the wall between kitchen and living room.  Parks are great too, and any playgrounds.  A big warm basement would be nice, any safe place they can play or goof off that's theirs.  I remember playing a lot in my aunt's basement with my cousins when I was young, and it was nice to be "away" from the adults (but still close by).  Look for children's museums, since they're usually structured with a lot of playing space.

[Korrale]

And occasionally they'll run loops around the wall between kitchen and living room.

Yes! Having a house where kids can run laps is awesome. We only have 800sqft. So very small rooms. But my son can do laps around a central support wall. I love 4 square houses where you can lap the entire 1st floor.

[TianXiaXueXiao]

I suppose it depends on the general atmosphere of the place you are moving to. I live in a rural area with increasing crime, so a fenced yard is a must unless you have acreage. The 2 main features that sold us on our house were the large, fully fenced yard and the family room which is our homeschool room. :)

[MistyMountain]

I lived in a condo up until a little over a year ago. We survived just fine. I wanted a yard mostly for gardening spaces. It is nice the kids can just go outside and play in the sand box in the summer and the snow in the winter but I don't think the time spent in the suburban yard is the same as the time we spend hiking or playing in nature which we did just as much when I lived in the condo. We were really close to a cool trail. I wish we had less winter here because we get out less in the winter and are covered up. The kids get out slightly more with a fenced in yard but not as much if we lived in a warmer climate.

[Seeking Squirrels]

I think it's important but not necessary. I would love a bit of grass to call our own. But we're in an apartment and not likely to get out anytime soon because it's all we can afford.

[Sherri in MI]

To me it's very important, no matter what age to get outdoors as much as possible.  it's good for Mom too!  And when they are little, it's nice ave a fenced in yard of your own to let them play in.  

 

However, that has always been my dream.  I have never actually had my own yard, even when ds was a preschooler, but we have always had rentals (we are living in them) that had lots of outdoor common space.  The con of not having our own private yard was, I always had to go outisde with him when he was little, but I guess that it was also a benefit as it was good for me to get outside & play with him too.  We did fine and I loved going to the parks with him.  He's 15 now & we still do go the park when the weather is nice.  Sometimes we do school at the picnic tables there in the fall and spring.

 

So,  it's nice to have your own yard, but you can make it work without, especially for a year or two.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I live in a 1000sqft apartment (3br) with 3 kids, ages 7, 5, and 2.  Another is arriving in a few months!  We don't have a back yard, and we are on the fourth floor, so I can't let the little ones out even to the playground. 

 

It sure would be nice to have a back yard, but it is totally do-able without one.  We plan in two trips outside per day- usually one is errand-running (we walk to all of our shopping, doctors, etc.) and one is just for playing- playground, forest, lake... depends on weather.  You just have to be a bit more conscious of the need to get out, and it's just fine.  :-)  Plus, I doubt it would take you more than a year to find a house, and your kids aren't going to be doing more than an hour of school work per day at that point, I would think, so plenty of time!

[MrsJewelsRae]

I'd say its fine, take them for outings. :) When my older 2 kids were 3 yrs (boy) and 1 yr old (girl) we moved into a townhouse for a couple years. The backyard was a shared green space, we had a very small patio that just fit a small BBQ and a sandbox. However, I took them out for long walks every day, we discovered a trail nearby with a small creek where we found different plants and animals- birds, muskrats, turtles, bugs, etc. We found a love for nature walks right outside of our tiny backyard- we'd come home and learn about the plants we found, why there were Monarchs all over the milkweed plants, etc. Plus there was a large playground across the road we went to all the time. We moved to the country after a couple years and live kind of on a farm- several acres, a barn, chickens, backing on to a bush area, closest neighbours are 1/2 km away, pick up trucks, etc. ;) My kids have a lot of nature to explore, they can identify several kinds of animal tracks and scat, they've run through fields and woods daily for several years now, can raise small livestock (we've had chickens, turkeys, ducks and rabbits), have lots of experience growing large gardens for home canning, and my oldest can start and maintain a fire in our wood stove which heats our home, etc. BUT they'd be lost in the city! There are kids that wouldn't know the first thing about how to live on a farm, yet they roam the city independently, use mass transit confidently, have access to all kinds of great museums, art galleries, ethnic shops, etc. It takes all kinds. :)

[Spryte]

Meh. Having limited outdoor space means we were at the parks more, interacting and meeting people, and just generally being creative about using the city and the green spaces. So assuming you have nearby playgrounds and nature areas, I vote not essential.

 

Ditto this.

 

We are in a townhome with a postage stamp backyard.  It's large enough for a deck and patio, a raised bed garden, a small 2 seater swing and a fountain.  We open the gate to a large grassy area, we have parks and creeks within walking distance, and very little yard work.  We do the landscaping in our front yard for fun gardening, and that's about it, other than the raised veg bed. The kids are outside every day, active and having fun.  Just not fenced in.  :)  We go out and meet people, we go to museums, we go to parks.  We have our outdoor lab, I just wouldn't say we own it.

[MerryAtHope]

For me it's pretty important. I like being able to go to the park, but sure appreciate the convenience of a backyard.

 

Why not rent month-to-month instead of for 1-2 years? This way, when you find the right place, you can move more readily. That's what we did when we last moved. I didn't even unpack half of our stuff, just the essentials.

[momto2Cs]

Meh. Having limited outdoor space means we were at the parks more, interacting and meeting people, and just generally being creative about using the city and the green spaces. So assuming you have nearby playgrounds and nature areas, I vote not essential.

 

My kids were actually 5 and 7 by the time we got a house with a backyard. I made good use of open spaces at the apartment we lived in, and nearby parks, where they got to meet other kids, etc. So I don't think it is essential at all, as long as there is somewhere for them to get outside time. Some of my best memories when they were little are centered on trundling them down to the local park most days!