garden for kids - how important

wymondham

my kids never play in our garden, but do at their friends house ..... :rolleyes:

emmy05

a garden is a deffo must for my lot as well, at least whilst theyre playing outside you can get on with alot of other things as well, and what i love about it are the bbqs as someones mentioned already ..

Mum_of_3_3

We live in a 2-bed ground floor flat & have a (nearly) 2 year old & a 6 year old.

I really couldn't live in this flat (even though it's a very big 2-bed) if we didn't have our own garden. My little ones are out in the garden all year round (the eldest has even been known to trampoline inthe rain :rolleyes: ).

We've got a pretty big garden & have a 12ft trampoline, 2-storey wooden playhouse, climbing frame with monekey bars & slide, swings, garden space for them to run and a patio area for riding bikes/trikes/scooting etc.

However, my sister has a small garden with just a swing in it and the kids love it just as much if you chuck a couple of cardboard boxes, clothes horse and sheets out there for them to build with.

What I'm trying to say I suppose is it really doesn't matter how big or small the garden/courtyard is I really would want some secure, safe outside space for my children, especially during the summer so that they can, well, be kids & run around & have fun in the open air unsupervised sometimes (whilst you can do boring grown up stuff like washing-up or hoovering inside :rolleyes: ).

I think carolt has summed it up very well. I would bide your time until a property with outside space appears in your price range.

Good luck with the hunting

M_o_3

kizzykizzywizzy

sassybooboos wrote: »

just something else re garden to think about.

i bought a house 2 yrs ago when little un was 1yr old. garden quite small but i thought that was all i needed.

now kid is three and wants trampoline and swings etc in garden so that is one of reasons now moving as garden just not big enough.

i think it is really hard to find a property that can tick all your boxes as a long term thing. ( unless your stinking rich)

Same problem here, we have a garden but have outgrown it & need a bigger one & want to move because of this - it's like adding an extra room to your house in the summer, we use it so much, I don't know what I'd do without it.
I lived in a flat, we did have a small shared courtyard, so could have the odd BBQ, but only if no-one had thier washing out!!
Another idea if you are stuck in a flat with no garden is getting an allotment my sister in law found this invaluable & we used to visit her there & her little girl had a paddling pol there too!

happinessfactory

I'm a bit :undecided about this one.

We moved last year to a less smart area where we could afford a garden (and an extra bedroom) because we also want to have kids.

We used to live in a flat with access to a very exclusive and award-winning enclosed London communal garden (so exclusive I once had to deny access to Camilla Parker Bowles's son Tom because he was a mere tenant rather than an owner:rotfl: ) and although it was wonderfully clean and well-maintained with a fantastic children's playground, it wasn't really *our* garden because we couldn't do any of the things (like cleaning muddy stuff and having BBQs and paddling pools ) that other people have mentioned.

Yet there are plenty of people in Britain who are brought up in flats and high-rises because they can't afford better, and their kids turn out okay And if you go to any European city, none of the kids - even the middle class ones - grow up in houses, just apartments, and it doesn't seem to bother them in the slightest.

I think the parents matter more than the house, to be honest

neverdespairgirl

barnaby-bear wrote: »

Even nice parks get the following from time to time:
dog !!!!!!
weirdos
teenagers taking over the playground
used condoms
broken glass

Not in all of them - for example, Coram's Fields, WC1, is a park only for children. Only children allowed in. Adults only if accompanying a child. There are patrols, park keepers, etc. No dogs. It's great.

sascasjor

Hi

My kids are 4, 3 and 2. I would find it a nightmare not having a garden. The eldest two can go out and play with me watching through the window. They're getting exercise and fresh(ish) air which is important. Also when their friends come round, I send them all out to the garden. You wouldn't believe the noise level kids of this age can achieve when couped up inside a house. Even with a park close by, it's going to be a few years before you can let them go on their own. I wouldn't have the time to go as often as I feel they would need. I also agree with the points about stairs. When your baby is finally sleeping after hours of keeping you awake, you will not want to wake him/her by lifting out of the pram as they generally wake up in a foul mood! Good luck x

barnaby-bear

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

Not in all of them - for example, Coram's Fields, WC1, is a park only for children. Only children allowed in. Adults only if accompanying a child. There are patrols, park keepers, etc. No dogs. It's great.

Bet you can't hang your washing out or have a bbq there though Let's face it though such places are rare and usually in very nice areas. Since they don't have kids yet - not being allowed in the local park might grate at the moment too.

jackomdj

I could never be without a garden. Our daughter is 3 1/2 & she goes outside on her own whilst I am doing the dishes looking out of the window at her. We made it a safe garden which has no steps, a patio area with railings into a seperate grassed area (so we can go out when the grass is soaking & know we won't get all muddy) we also have a pond which has safety railings & cover so she gets to enjoy all the pond life (fish, frogs & newts).

We use it for all sorts, sometimes we are out there all day, in the summer we eat outside...& sometimes we go out for a quick 5 mins just to blow some bubbles.

We are fortunate enough to be near park's & large grassey area's & these are great but give a different type of experience.

Nicky

hedgen

We live in a second floor flat, without a garden, and our little one is almost 14 months now, I can't believe it! We are looking to move, and definitely want a garden in our next place. Up until recently the parks nearby have been enough, but now she is literally running about the place, I really want a garden. So, I guess it depend when you are looking to start your family, and how long you want to live there.