Working a bit backwards, I am finally setting us up for a great year ahead. Due date is in 5 days, I cannot think of a better way to set some goals and directions for the new year.
W H Y ?
Unintentionally, I started to focus on the importance of being outdoors with the kids at the beginning of December.
This was due to several factors. The nights got longer, and with the limited daylight hours, I felt the urge to schedule some free outdoor time for when both kids can roam around.
Moving into the winter months the temperature dropped, so we had less fresh air indoors which was another motivational factor.
But most importantly, ever since my daughter turned 17 months old, she started to have intense meltdowns. I am talking about going from zero to hero ugly, banging herself to the ground, in 2.5 seconds. It was scary for me to experience this, especially since my son, who is now 5 years old, never had such challenges.
A month later she started to walk pretty much from one day to another as she turned 18 months old. She clearly needed more space to master these new skills she gained.
H O W
What can be more secure than a huge grass field. So I invested some warm wool overalls and a pair of sturdy shoes. We took a short walk to accompany her older brother to the bus stop each morning. Then we went outside to wait for Daddy to come home in the afternoon – just before dinner time.
These two little commitments become part of our daily routine. And with that the kids temper became more regulated. Tantrums haven’t gone away, but they became more manageable. I became more level headed and patient as well.
W H A T
What do we do? What ever the kids feel like. We are lucky to have a small climbing frame with couple of slides right at our doorsteps. We keep a football outside as an invitation for play – it works like magic with the kids in the neighbourhood. While we are waiting for the school bus to turn up the kids kick the ball around and burn some energy right before they head into Kindergarten / School.
W H E N
Started to record our time spent outdoors on 8th December 2023. The challenge stretches over a year, hence total hours will be announced on 7th December 2024.
R E S O U R C E S
I got inspired by the many many instagram posts that you can check out by searching the #1000hoursoutside. Of course I headed over to their website https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/ where I found numerous resources and links. I then hooked up to their podcast channel, which I regularly listen while the kids are playing.
One of the most informative episodes – in my opinion – is one of their oldest ones. In fact I found a lot of useful info in their second episode from 2019. It is titled IKHO 2: Tips for Spending Time Outside During the Winter https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-1000-hours-outside-podcast/id1448210728?i=1000427546677
Expat Mom Journal 