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Elementary School-Aged Kids
what makes your house the hang-out house for teens and preteens?
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Anonymous
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parents of 3 and 5 year old here. We are deciding between three houses to buy and there is one thing very important to us -- we want our house to be the house where the kids and their friends choose to spend time as they get older. Both DH and I had houses that were not this way (DH's parents were super-strict about cleanliness and didn't want the mess, and I lived far from most people and my mom kind of hated to be the host) and we want to be different, both because we want to keep an eye on the kids and because we are the types that like to host social things.
So which of these things matter: 1. location near the school? 2. location near the town center (walk to restaurants, etc.) 3. big yard? 4. big basement? 5. location near metro/public transportation? 6. big bedrooms for the kids? Also do you think thinks like pool table/ping pong table help? We do not want a pool, although I am sure that would help. And I know good food will help -- that I can handle. 
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Anonymous
| A central downtown location certainly helps, but ultimately, I think it will depend on your children's personalities and chosen circle of friends - and that you cannot predict! |
Anonymous
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OP,
You can only decide with what you know right now and one thing you don't know is where your children will go to middle school so deciding based on location seems dicey, no? It could be a private school or a charter school on the other side of town or the county, right? I think big hangout area is key. Bedroom size does not seem to matter. Most kids get rides to their friends' houses -- they're so busy! -- so proximity to public transportation is not that important. - Mom of High School Freshman |
Anonymous
| I think bedroom size is unimportant and probably isn't the best place to encourage teenagers to hang out anyway. We had a fairly large "bonus" room on the back of our house that had French doors leading out to the patio. We had bookcases, TV, pingpong table, sink area with a small counter for serving food/refreshments, and an ice maker. Our kids' friends loved to come over, and we'd cook out for them a lot. Not a "hang out" type of room, but not real fancy either--just casually comfortable. |
Anonymous
| Central location and popular kids. Maybe unpopular kids and no parents at home also makes for a hang-out house for pre/teens. |
Anonymous
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Parent of high schooler here. For boys the main thing that is important is the availability of Xbox and space to play it in. I think a big space like a basement is important.
Being near school is very popular. Also availability of good food. |
Anonymous
And don't forget Air Soft rifles. They seem to be all the rage but we have resisted. I don't think our neighbors would be thrilled, even though we live on an acre of property. |
Anonymous
| Kids in the neighborhood, a good size family room with Wii and other games, nice yard for running and playing, and a steady supply of pizza, IMO. |
Anonymous
| Mom of a 15 year old here. Lots of his friends call me "mom." Be careful what you wish for. Food in our house isn't a bonus or a lure- it's a necessity. We get the kiddos that don't get hugged in their own home. I think they feel comfortable because they are allowed to be themselves- the good, the bad and the ugly. We praise them and let them cuss. I wouldn't trade any of them for anything, but some days it would be nice to be a mom of one- like I signed up to be. |
Anonymous
| The house where we all hung out in HS was a 3 bedroom split level with a tiny basement that we took over every weekend. The parents had a separate fridge for soda in the basement that we called the soda machine. They bought soda at the commissary on base. We bought pizza from Little Cesars and the parents took a couple of the boys to go pick it up. We watched movies from Erol's and Saturday Night Live. Mostly, the parents were welcoming if a bit overwhelmed with us. |
Anonymous
| Growing up in this area I had this house. I always thought it was because of how close we were to the school and my Moms costco membership. |
Anonymous
Yes, I don't think it so much matters what house you have but whether your children attract other kids who want to hang out at their house. |
Anonymous
I have children in high school. You providing food is not important. They can get their own-what they want is a facility not your cooking. Ping pong tables are used for beer pong. IMHO an unfinished basement with a ping pong table and a location near school plus lenient parents will make your kids very popular. |
Anonymous
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It depends what age and gender you're talking about. I have boys, so don't know about what might be different for girls.
For all ages - a good indoor space with video games (big screen) and comfortable seating, and a good outdoor space with a basketball net/cement and room to run. For high school - proximity to school, because by the end of freshman year they want to be able to walk to the house without a parent involved. Proximity to cheap restaurants is also good. My sons hang out at houses within a mile of their school, because they can go after school and chill, then return to campus for evening events (dances, games, etc). |
Anonymous
| Our kids are little but we've got a swimming pool, hot tub and big basement. I expect that we'll be the hangout. |