Lacklustre mood

[Tealady]

I have a 4½ year old mindee who started a few weeks ago. Mum and Dad are both fitness buffs and do a lot of running. I kind of assumed that he would be quite outdoorsy and active.

However, he isn't. Moans about walking from the car into school on the school run (just over a 5min walk for little legs). He has even asked if I can just leave him in the car! He's never very excited about getting and about. Today he just wanted to play Lego and kept asking for Cbeebies. It was drizzly this morning but between the showers I suggested we go for a walk or feed the ducks but he'd just go to the window and inform me that it was still raining (even though it hadn't). At the park after school today he just moped. I think some of it is that he is a little lost as my son who is 5 and my other reception age mindee are back at school this week but to be fair he has had these tendencies from the start.

I have him on his own on a Tuesday, so feel I have to go with his moods. I feel drained from trying to get him engaged and being indoors too much.

How pushy would you be to get out and about? I have him tomorrow, the weather is supposed to be better, so really want to give him no or little option.

[moggy]

My own boys have gone through phases of this but always have a great time once they are out- is that the case with this boy, or haven't you managed to get him out anywhere yet?

I use the following things to get reluctant boys out the door-
- take a toy with them (like Lego mini-figures) to play with in an outdoor landscape
- take a trowel (proper metal one, child size and bucket too) and go digging for fossils/gold/treasure
- take a special snack (well, even real mountaineers take kendal mint cake!)
- take a picnic
- include a cafe visit/treat as part of the outing (you see a food theme?)
- let them pack a rucksack of survival gear to take (compass, map, paper and pencil, small tarpaulin, string)
- take den-building equipment (string, scissors, tarpaulin, rope)

Good luck!