Tell me your good and bad experiences regarding your child playing with the neighborhood kids

[Anonymous]

I'm asking because we are seriously considering moving to a neighborhood with a lot of kids. Our neighborhood currently has no kids. The pro for us is that it is easier to manage/handle any kids that are a bad influence because they don't live nearby. The con is that it's a lot more work for me to arrange playdates for my kids, and I get the feeling that kids in other neighoborhoods mostly play with their neighborhood friends (and I don't blame them).

[Anonymous]

OP here. And I forgot to mention, it will be a lot of work for us to move.

[Anonymous]

How old are your children? What about school? I think you should be thinking about school more than playdates. Or are you considering homeschool?

[Anonymous]

OP here. My kids are in first grade and Kindergarten. The schools here are good. If we moved, it would just be to about the same schools. That is way it is difficult to decide whether or not to move. Everything is fine except for my kids can't step out the door and play with others.

[Anonymous]

OP - if YOU like your neighbors, I SO would NOT move. Been there, done that.

[Anonymous]

As your kids get older, they need to be able to decide for themselves who they like playing with and not; make their own decisions and learn how to handle those interpersonal relationships. It's one of the things developmental psychologists say is lacking from today's culture and today's kids need more of in order for their adult society to be a healthy one.