parenting & exercising question

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  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    I've dropped my 3 y.o. and 7 y.o. into the woods at night a few times with only a flashlight and a hunting knife, to see if they can hunt and forage for food for a few days. So far so good, though the 3 y.o. keeps wanting to cuddle with the bears.

    I trust that when they were born they spent the first night on the roof, to weed out the weak offspring?
  • SkimFlatWhite68
    SkimFlatWhite68 Posts: 1,254 Member
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    Yes. I am a single mum and if I didn't, I would never have any time to go to the gym. Or couldn't work for that matter, then who is going to pay the mortgage?

    I get up at 4:30am, go to the gym and am back, showered and ready for work before I get my 14yo DD out of bed. She knows that I go, but she sleeps right through. I wouldn't have done it before this year, and I think you have to make a judgement call based on knowing your own children, what they are like and what they are capable of doing in an emergency (if it arose). And also have very clear instructions on what to do if something did go awry.

    I do not however go out (anywhere) after work, or after say 6pm on a weekend without my DD, as she is not comfortable with that idea.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    My dad used to leave us on the side of the highway when we wouldn't shut up. It's so easy to get rides when you're 8.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    I've dropped my 3 y.o. and 7 y.o. into the woods at night a few times with only a flashlight and a hunting knife, to see if they can hunt and forage for food for a few days. So far so good, though the 3 y.o. keeps wanting to cuddle with the bears.

    Lol
  • Nicolee_2014
    Nicolee_2014 Posts: 1,572 Member
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    No. But my kids are 3 & 1 so that is a good reason not to. Hard to say if I would if they were older. Depends on the child. My Mum used to leave me alone to work when I was 8 & my brother was 1 (very rarely) but I was a responsible mature child. She could never trust my sister to be on her own even when she was 16! So totally depends on the kid. It's a shame gyms don't have an area for older kids to hang out whilst parents exercise like they do a creche for the little 1's.
  • JUDDDing
    JUDDDing Posts: 1,367 Member
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    My dad used to leave us on the side of the highway when we wouldn't shut up. It's so easy to get rides when you're 8.

    That's funny.

    My dad did that to us several times when we'd take family vacations (2000 miles, 4 people in the cab of a pickup) he'd drop us off outside a town and then find a gas station about a mile down the road - we'd walk until we found them. I think we were 8 and 11. It was fun for us. We got away from them and got to walk a bit - they got rid of us for 15 mins.
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
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    My dad used to leave us on the side of the highway when we wouldn't shut up. It's so easy to get rides when you're 8.

    Mine would make us all get out on the side of the highway for talking to much... but he wouldn't leave us... he'd make us pick up trash. :grumble: :angry:
  • JenRun1
    JenRun1 Posts: 212
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    Heck no! Mine are 11 and 7. When I want to run and there is no adult around to watch them, I make them hop on their bikes and go with me. They love it and we all get exercise.
  • just_Jennie1
    just_Jennie1 Posts: 1,233
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    are you kidding me? I thought it was illegal to leave kids alone, if under the age of 14? I certainly wouldn't dream of leaving my 5 year old home alone just to go for a friggin run. God can't you take them with you , go to the park or something??? newsflash: your kids come first. I am horrified!

    Depends on what state you live in. Not all states have a "law" about how old your child has to be in order to leave them alone. Mine doesn't but it seems like the age is 10-11 and again, it depends on how mature the child is.

    And as someone pointed out they OP didn't say how old their child is and I highly doubt she's talking about a 5 year old.

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