"Go Outside and Play"

I send my 4 yr old (started at 3.5) out into the backyard by himself to go play ... there were days that he would be out there ALL DAY! I was sent out for the day to only come back to potty/eat.

Not unreasonable at all!

~I sometimes take an old sleeping bag outside and throw it down on the grass and let my kids have a 'picnic' or even just a snack and something to drink while they are outside...sometimes this gives them more motivation to be out there longer :) And it is also great to throw them some bubbles...bubbles ALWAYS seem to keep kids entertained for some reason and they are UBER cheap!

My kids are 7, 5 & 3 and the 5 year old is the one that generally gets bored first :)

My daughter plays by herself really well... most days. She is 2 1/2. I wish I could send her out in the back yard to play because she loves it outside, but we live in an apartment right on the street :( So when she is outside at home I am always following close behind her.

YES, YES, YES it is reasonable to expect that they can do this!!! My kiddos are still too young to go out on their own, but you bet your bottom dollar that once they are old enough I will be saying "go out and play".

My kids are great with playing independently. Trust me, I play with my kids and I spend a large amount of my time with them...but they can also play on their own, I think that is sooooo important. Children shouldn't have to be entertained 100% of the time.

I'm a lot nicer to my kids than my parents and thier generation was to us. We didn't want to be withour parents. But my kids want to be wherever I am all the time! They are pretty good about amusing themselves, but I'm pretty good about making them! When I'm in the kitchen cooking or cleaning I make them play outback. I can see them the whole time because I'm inthe kitchen so I insist they go. "Go Play outside......Get outside now! Do not bother me unless you are hurt or bleeding! Go! Now!" They come running to tell on each other and get "are you bleeding? No? then go play outside! Now! Go!"
I do not take no for an answer.

Yep, totally healthy and reasonable IMHO. I send the kids out all the time to play and entertain themselves. I am not their playstation, lol. We really feel that kids are greatly benefited by independent playtime. They learn to work out their own arguments, flex their imaginations and learn that while Mom and Dad love to play with them, they have separate lives as well. I think it also instills a sense of pride that we trust them to play on their own (in a safe area of course). Mommas need their time too. I am with you 100% =)

That's one of my favorite phrases!!!! I use it often.

I think it depends on the personality of the child. My son is five and wants to engage us in play almost constantly. He might play solo for 15 minutes or so before he want us to at least "watch me, mommy! Watch me!" My daughter is three and can happily play in the sandbox for 30 minutes before she wants me to swing her on the swingset. You might be lucky enough to have them able to entertain themselves outside at those ages. Or...not. Could they help you around the house and yard? Weed the garden? When I have things I want to get done, I usually tell them that the more they help me do what I need to do, the sooner I'll be available to play with them. When I think of kids who can "go outside and play" for an hour or more, I think of slightly older children, say 8 and up. But everyone is different.

We live on a small farm with acreage around us. I send my boys outside and won't see them for an hour or so at a time. They have to stay together for safety's sake, and they know the rules about how far they can go and what they are allowed to do, but I don't have to entertain them. I have a large, brass, cow bell type thing mounted by our back door, and I ring that if I need them to come home. They have to stay in ear-shot of that. They are 7 and 13 and love to be outside. Often they play in the backyard where I can see them from the kitchen (or I'm outside with them), but they love to play in the fields and creeks nearby. They entertain themselves inside as well, and have done this since they were small. I love having family time, but it would drive me crazy to have to entertain my children all the time. They need to learn to use their imaginations and be creative. You are not being unreasonable. Have fun with your boys, and enjoy watching them play with and without you! :-)

People that respond here are so fortunate. I live in an apartment with no backyard at all. I do take my son out to the park when I can but the closest one is 20 mins away. We get to go 3-4x a week. However, right now my car is in need of a new muffler so we cant go anywhere. When we do go the park, we usually stay for about an hour before he asks to go home. He is 2.

My boys are very similar to age in yours, and I find that when I send them out to play I need to check on them very frequently to get them started on a game they can both play or I get called out to referee disagreements. My 6 year old is frustrated that my 4 year old can't keep up, and the 4 year old gets mad that the 6 year old always beats him. They play with some of the neighborhood kids in the park that is adjacent to our property, but I have to set very specific time lines on when they need to check in...and then I have to go out and hunt them down when they are out of eye and ear shot, and then they lose 'unsupervised' play privileges. I keep trying and one day, maybe they'll figure it out:)

No, this is not a crazy expectation of your kiddos. Kids are way to used to being entertained (DS, Wii etc..) It is good for them to get out side, get fresh air and use their imagination. We have the same fight with our kids and they are 7, 8, 9 (for the record, I am not a baby machine, the 7 and 8 - almost 9 yr old are mine...22mo apart and the 9yr old is my step daughter) lol

Anyway, try to see if there is anything they can help with...especially the garden. It keeps them out side, gets them in the dirt a L. which I am sure they will enjoy. It may not be perfect or the way you would do it but let them try...you can fix it when they walk away if you need to. No worries...we get the "i'm bored" all the time...

They will survive.

Good luck!

Not that I agree with it, but my parents NEVER played w/ us at all. EVER. We were always expected to entertain ourselves. Interacting w/ them meant being allowed to participate in a conversation.

I thik that was excessive, lol. But yes kids should definately play on their own. They use their imagination, they're active. You can't entertain your kids all the time! And believe me, by the way most kids behave these days, you KNOW parents arent spending all their time w/ them. It has to be a balance!

Yes I do expect my kids to play by themselves. You know I hate to bash the supernanny but some of her schedules are ridiculous. I have never seen one that includes adult time.
I love her discipliing techniques but her schedules feel like are meant to turn the parents into the kids clown 24/7

4 and 1/2 and 6 are old enough to play well together; you're doing great momma.

you are not unreasonable at all. As a child I played all day without my parents, and my boys do the same. They have each other to play with, they do not need me, and we also do our family time in the evenings. Just because I am home during the day does not mean I do not have things I have to get done just like someone who works away from the home.

My DD is only 1, and she can entertain herself outside for an hour or two on her own... of course, due to her age, I am out there with her... but she entertaines herself! She only has a sandbox, and grass. If she finds a stick, she is golden. Lol.

My kids love playing outside. They spend as much time as they can out there. I don't think it is unreasonable at all. I enjoy being able to clean up, cook a meal, or even watch a little TV while they play happily outside. If they need me or want me to be out there I sometimes go (if its not too cold, they would play in 20 degree weather!).

It could just be their personalities. My son just turned 7 and ever since he was 5 we can't get him to come inside enough when the weather is nice. I feel like I never see him! We live on a culdesac and he's crazy about riding his bike and scooter over ramps the other older kids have helped make. He has a friend who never wants to play outside....when this friend comes over he wants to play in the livingroom or in our son's room. It becomes a clash of personalities. This boy's parents say they have a hard time getting their son to be active. I find if I invite a friend over for my son to play with (besides this little boy) then they go off and play together and entertain each other. Maybe invite over another 6 year old and see what happens. That's my only advice. Good luck!

I expect my kids to entertain themselves for an hour about 3 times a day (inside and outside) I have a 1, 3 and 5 year old. (the 1 year old is the only one that doesn't entertain himself, he likes to bug is siblings and naps a lot)

It is absolutely reasonable! Most of my favorite childhood memories (and some that I just laugh at myself for being so goofy) were a result of being sent outside to play. We were allowed to watch UP TO 1 hour of TV a day, and we played Nentendo up to 1 hour a day. ALL the rest of the time were either chores, reading, or playing! We grew up very happy. We played in the backyard with our dog, played catch, graduated to the front and got to play with the telescope, big wheels, bikes, neighborhood kids playing any number of games (chase, freeze tag, Chinese freezed tag, kickball, crazy dodgeball, army dodgeball, cowboys/indians, cops/robbers, school, cupball, we would work for hours on building a "preserve" for the tadpoles we found so they could have the "best" frog haven "in the world", we made "clubs" and obstacle courses for initiation, we went swimming daily during the summer, we ran the track--my parent's idea, I'm sure, to get us a little more calm and tired...we also really explored nature, seriously scrutinizing bark, slime, moss, leaves, dirt, etc). Because I loved reading so much, I would incorporate any random story I'd read, with a little bit of news I'd heard at Grandpa's house (the news seemed to ALWAYS be on over there), and I made games like "Libyan terrorists' hostage" where we were escaping and running while being hunted down (from The Most Dangerous Game) to hiding out in the forest and creating a cool new home (Robin Hood and Swiss Family Robinson), etc.
My kids are too young to roam the neighborhood or woods alone, but at ages 4 and 17 months, we have a "outside toybox" for the outdoor toys (trucks, diggers, balls, Tball set, action figures, etc) and they go in the backyard while I fix dinner or whatever. They like it, and I windows all along the yard so I'm able to keep an eye on them. Because my youngest is SO young, he's generally only out for about 30 minutes at a time, and the windows are open so I can hear.
For the lady who said that Supernanny's schedules don't allow for adult time or for the kids to play outside, she's sorely mistaken. We watch that show A LOT (we dvr it so we can fast forward, and we watch them at a time that is convenient for us--they show like 3 a day, in the middle of the day, but since they're recorded, we just watch one every few evenings). Out of curiousity (because I'm competitive?) I have paused the TV on her routine and though it's not mentioned because it's usually not pertinent to that episode's "issues", there is always playtime for the kids and there is always "mom time", etc. She has spoken a lot about how adults need downtime too, but it's about having responsible down time where the kids are safe and accounted for, which isn't usually the issue. And it IS very important, I think, to have family fun together as well. We love playing games together as a family---we like teaching the games we loved to play as a kid (army dodgeball, freeze tag) and we love teaching soccer and Tball, we fish together, we play uno with the oldest (colors and numbers, easy enough), and lots of kid friendly board games. There's a time for everything (family time, kid time, adult time)....it just needs to be balanced, in my opinion.

Yes, it is reasonable expectation. Yet not as easy as it sounds. Some parent aren't that great at playing and their kids never expect it so they can do it for hours and hours by themselves. Your kids think you are great fun and want you. Just shows you are a great MOM!! Try teaching them how much fun it is to have a brother so close in age. 4 is right playing age, his 6 year old brother may not realize he isn't a toddler any more. Work with them to play together, create games, act out movie scenes. Today's game will build into tomorrow play. Before you no it they will be out there for longer and longer. Good Luck!!

As I sit at the computer to type this my almost 3 and 5 yr old are playing in the front yard with a 6 yr old nieghbor. I don't think it is unreasonable at all! I would be so grumpy right now if I'd spent the last 30 minutes loading the dishwasher and getting dinner started with kids under foot :)

I often send my kids out to play. Lately they've been doing better, but they're both a little clingy and often try to come inside if that's where I am. But if I'm really insistent that I can't play with them, they'll find something to do to entertain themselves. I feel like I've tried everything to get them (especially my older one - 6) to play more independently, but it's just not her personality.

So the short answer is - I think you're doing great! Keep it up!

My kids (7 year old boy & 4 year old girl) play outside without me playing with them for an hour or more. We have a fenced in backyard with a playground. I'm usually gardening, doing yard work or reading while they're back there. They have eachother to play with.

ETA: My oldest helps me weed the garden and both kids help me when I need to plant new plants.