Yesterday my husband said to me, "do you realize you haven't been outside in three days?"
And then I cried. I hadn't realized, actually, but now that I realized I felt pretty depressed about it!
It is just so hard to take a baby out in this arctic weather.
It takes so much preparation and bundling, and Zac cries throughout the whole process making it seem rather pointless and exhausting.
But reading this post yesterday inspired me to make more of an effort to get outside.
It's true, the hardest part of Canadian winters is not the cold itself, but the amount of time we are forced to stay indoors.
So we did it.
Yesterday we got outside.
And guess what? Within a few minutes, Zac fell into a deep sleep in the carrier, and I got to soak up some gorgeous sunshine (albeit some rather cold sunshine). And we stayed out for a really long time... and all the while the little guy remained fast asleep.
Want to hear something fascinating?
Parents in Nordic countries frequently leave their babies to nap outside in their prams in sub-zero temperatures! According to this BBC article, it's common to see rows of prams lined up in the snow outside daycares and coffee shops (while parents sip lattes indoors!).
They believe that babies will actually nap longer in the cold.
(photo credit: Jenny Brandt, BBC News Magazine)
Now their "sub-zero" temperatures are not nearly as sub-zero as the temperatures I'm faced with every day, but still I might give this a try once it gets a bit milder out in the Spring ; )
3 comments:
WHAT?! Outside?! Well, if it helps, then I'd probably do whatever to help a baby sleep.
i know i always sleep well outdoors when camping.
Can you imagine leaving a baby out on Mont-Royal Street while sipping a coffee inside? They'd call child services in a heartbeat!! But I'll definitely try this in my backyard once it's a little warmer out! I love it when it's cold at night and I'm all comfy and warm underneath my blankets, seems logical that my boy would enjoy it too!
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