Well I had quite the epiphany the other day whilst reading Miss Mason's second chapter. In it, she recommended getting outside for three hours each day during the winter months. She also recommended accomplishing this by going outdoors for one and a half hours in the morning and another one and a half in the afternoon. That's when it hit me! In all this talk about four to six hours out-of-doors every day from April to October, she didn't necessarily mean four to six hours in a row! Ah, it makes it all seem so much more attainable and, might I add, sane? Four to six hours in the summer months (during daylight savings) isn't really all that hard when you break it up. See, look...
Morning playtime in backyard - 1 hour
Lunch outside - 1/2 hour
Walk around neighborhood after lunch - 1/2 hour
Afternoon playtime in backyard - 1 hour (Joy napping in house after walk)
Late afternoon trip to park, trails, pond, etc. - 2 hours
Hour with Daddy outside after dinner - 1 hour (still light in the summertime!)
So we wind up with 4 hours on days we just can't get to a park or nature center, and 6 full hours on days we can. Punkin naps at home! In fact, we don't even need to leave home until after her nap. Now, I do think CM probably thought 4 hours at a stretch was a good thing, and some days it might be, even for us. But, it sure seems more realistic when it's broken down a bit. Don't worry, y'all, I'm not going to start logging "minutes outside" to make sure I get my minimum in ;) I think it's useful, though, to see how just a little schedule tweaking here and there could really add up to a lot of time outdoors. I am convinced it's a good thing for the girls and their Mama.
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