Since January 1st, we have been on a mission to get to at least 500 hours of outside time by the end of this year. Sitting here at the tail-end of July, I am happy that 500 hours was our goal rather than the full 1,000.
We finally cracked 100 hours at the beginning of this month. My husband laughed when I told him that and he said, that’s it? But I was and am very proud of the 109 hours Jameson has gotten so far this year.
I know it might not seem like a lot compared to the grand 1,000 hours goal, but I know we aren’t nearly done yet. This goal has really changed the way I plan our days now and I truly feel like Jameson has been benefitting from the time spent outdoors.
We had a rough start to the challenge with pretty brutal winter temps and a fairly rainy spring. I know that doesn’t deter some families from heading into the great outdoors, but I’m just not there yet. Especially because Jameson’s speech is still developing and he isn’t able to tell me when he’s too cold or uncomfortable yet.
I’m pretty confident we will meet our mini goal of 500 hours outside this year, and I’ll be happy for that. And I think next year could be the year we tackle getting 1,000 hours outside, as we are working on building a house in upstate New York on 3.5 acres. What better motivation to step outside than having the space to run around and play in the grass?
Also, this mama can’t wait to have a nice cup of coffee on our own front porch.
Paige is Parenting 