Friends in the neighborhood
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All the talk of city/country living brought this question to mind. When we
bought our condo, Zack was 3, Haley was still a year in the future. We
figured we'd be in it a couple of years, then move to a bigger place and rent
the condo out.
Well, that was before this whole homeschooling thing came up! Now, we're a
one income family, and the condo mortgage is great! Unfortunately, we have
no backyard, but we do have a small enclosed patio and a pool right down the
street. I do miss the backyard, but we make do.
Here's the thing. Although there's an elementary school right next door, we
have virtually no kids in our 300 unit complex! It's all older folks and
singles. The very few families have older kids.
We have a really active support group, and we have friends over often, but I
miss that neighborhood I grew up in where the kids were all in each other's
houses every day and all weekend. I wonder if my kids are really missing
something.
My friends with kids in school, who live in those neighborhoods with lots of
families, tell me that things are really different these days. The kids are
of course in school all day, then they have sports and other after school
activities and then the weekends are full of soccer and baseball games. So
the kids don't really see each anyway unless they go to school together.
Lots of my homeschool friends have noticed this too.
I just wonder if your kids play with kids in the neighborhood or if they've
experienced the same drought of local playmates.
Carron
bought our condo, Zack was 3, Haley was still a year in the future. We
figured we'd be in it a couple of years, then move to a bigger place and rent
the condo out.
Well, that was before this whole homeschooling thing came up! Now, we're a
one income family, and the condo mortgage is great! Unfortunately, we have
no backyard, but we do have a small enclosed patio and a pool right down the
street. I do miss the backyard, but we make do.
Here's the thing. Although there's an elementary school right next door, we
have virtually no kids in our 300 unit complex! It's all older folks and
singles. The very few families have older kids.
We have a really active support group, and we have friends over often, but I
miss that neighborhood I grew up in where the kids were all in each other's
houses every day and all weekend. I wonder if my kids are really missing
something.
My friends with kids in school, who live in those neighborhoods with lots of
families, tell me that things are really different these days. The kids are
of course in school all day, then they have sports and other after school
activities and then the weekends are full of soccer and baseball games. So
the kids don't really see each anyway unless they go to school together.
Lots of my homeschool friends have noticed this too.
I just wonder if your kids play with kids in the neighborhood or if they've
experienced the same drought of local playmates.
Carron
Tracy Oldfield
I don't know if the 'organised activities' thing is quite so strong
over here yet, but here on our street the kids do play out when it's
fit (mine even when it's not fit, but then I don't tell 'em to come in
when it starts raining, I give 'em their coats, unlike some others...)
I'm not sure what it's going to be like now that school's started
again, since quite a lot go to childminders or after-school 'clubs'
until about 5pm when parents get home, then have tea and bath
and bed routine, so they might not have time to play out during the
week, but I think the weekends will still be the same. We shall
see.
Tracy
over here yet, but here on our street the kids do play out when it's
fit (mine even when it's not fit, but then I don't tell 'em to come in
when it starts raining, I give 'em their coats, unlike some others...)
I'm not sure what it's going to be like now that school's started
again, since quite a lot go to childminders or after-school 'clubs'
until about 5pm when parents get home, then have tea and bath
and bed routine, so they might not have time to play out during the
week, but I think the weekends will still be the same. We shall
see.
Tracy