It’s never too early to learn to love walking in your city — even at 6 months old

Laurence Miall
Aug 31, 2018 · 3 min read

Since my daughter was born, one of my favourite new routines has been getting up early on weekend mornings and going for walks. This gives my wife time to get a few extra hours of sleep, permits me a bit of exercise and fresh air, and gives Marlayna — now six months old — glimpses of the exciting world beyond our doorstep.

We’ve met friendly cats in neighbourhood parks:

We’ve admired the work of local artists who paint on nearby walls:

We’ve found out about hidden urban oases — like this courtyard with a modern sculpture-fountain in the middle:

Our outings usually last about 60 to 90 minutes. Marlayna sometimes makes a few appreciative noises, but for the most part she is quietly curious about all the sights and sounds that surround us.

I am not surprised that these walks are so restorative emotionally and spiritually. I remember taking walks with my father as being one of the best parts of my own childhood, growing up in England.

We would often go and pick blackberries from the bushes and make blackberry and apple crumble with Bird’s Eye custard. On weekends, when there was more time, we went for long walks in the local hills. As we walked, we told each other stories. Mine were fantastical exploits of characters I’d met on TV, Buck Rogers and Doctor Who. Dad’s were stories from literature or history — of the Romans, for example, who had built a villa at Great Witcombe, the remnants of which awaited us at the end of one of our most epic walks together. While exploring our part of the Cotswolds in our Wellington boots, we’d always stop and have lunch, and then my father would unwrap a Kit-Kat bar and we’d share it, fifty-fifty. This always seemed like a great deal to me, since I was only twenty-five percent of his size.

I am looking forward to the days when Marlayna will similarly be powered by her own legs, but for now, I am very happy to have her strapped safely against my chest in her carrier. While we’re walking, passersby sometimes nod, smile and wave, proving there’s nothing quite so popular as a baby.

Laurence Miall

Written by

Weaving narratives @jwmcconnell, @NeWestPress. I work in communications in Canada’s charity and non-profit sector, and write fiction and non-fiction.

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