Our kids are in one of the most popular DC privates, but they are still in elementary school. DH and I are not American and I have not experienced the “typical” American highschool life you are describing. In my country, I went to school everyday for 6 hours, then home and homework. We would do sports, but not through school. After learning about the party, drinking and sex that happen in a typical US highschool, I’d much rather send my kids somewhere else. I had never been exposed to drugs until college and alcohol was not a big deal and nobody abused it. Different cultures and different mentality. I also felt 10 times better prepared for college (in the Us) than my American peers.

That said, I love several of the families I have met in the NW private school. More often than not, these are just normal families, often international, successful, but down to earth and fun. I must say that I also really enjoy being surrounded by very smart people that travel a lot; understand the importance of education and want to give amazing opportunities to their kids... people that are polyhedric and can discuss about politics, art, tennis and foreign countries. I have only found people like this in DC (not in California, Florida or Ny...or my home country where I lived) .. I am sure they exists, but this was my experience.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I am not focused literally on football, I was just using that as an example of the culture of my childhood being very into traditional teenage and school activities. School spirit, ALL sports (like, is lax big here in the same way where people get excited to go cheer for their team?), cheerleading, dance, marching band, whatever....going to the movies/mall with your friends (whatever the present version of this is), having parties, sleepovers, going to prom, even getting into a little (innocent) trouble, dating, etc.

Like, lighten up and help me understand the culture of the lives of tweens and teens here. That's all I'm asking.

For what it's worth, my big high school was EXTREMELY cut throat and competitive in ALL ways, including academics. I'm not worried about that as much as I'm worried about a culture of sheltered, boring, insecure, awkward kids who don't like to have fun at a time that should be so much fun.

MoCo. And public, not necessarily private. Should maybe move this discussion to the public school forum, or at least ask there as well. Or perhaps the real estate forum. Homecoming, football games, hanging at the mall with their friends. Sleepovers. That’s not going to happen if you stay in DC. Move to the burbs. We did. DS was in a pressure cooker charter school we thought we were lucky enough to lottery into for 6th. We moved. One in public and one applying for Private. Remember though this is all pre-COVID. Post-COVID, you don’t know what the environment in the near term will look like and how they’ll impact kids’ formative years and their high school experiences.

Anonymous wrote:OP - I grew up like that and my kids have a similar experience. I went to a large Catholic school in PA and DC are in a large Catholic school here. I agree with PP, the best thing about living here is that there is something for everyone. I remember looking at all the summer camp options and was blown away at all the opportunity to find something that interested my DC. Every weekend there is something to do, pre-COVID there were dozens of things to do.

That being said, I think your school selection matters a great deal but a lot of good public and private options (we are in NOVA) and nearby WestPo, Hayfield and TC seem to have that give along with the DMV Catholics that were already mentioned.

Good luck!

West Potomac is not a good public option if a great education is your goal. I agree the kids have a lot of time to party and hang out. LOL

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a great place to raise kids! The Smithsonian is here, and all of it is free. There are tons of people from all over the world (Worldbank/diplomats/think tanks etc) and state dept and military folks who transition in and out. With so much diversity and culture, I think DC is a great place to grow up in. I mean can anything in TX compare to the Library of Congress? Or jogging through the natl mall? The only downside to DC is its awful weather so you and I may not be seeing eye to eye. I also can't stand Miami.

Not how crowded it is? Not the insane traffic? The terrible public transportation? The incredibly high cost of living? I could go on and on.

The taxes, the people, the rapid decline in the city, the crime

Yeah, you guys should move. Don't live in a place you don't love.

i don't need you to tell me what to do. Go push around your fellow Democrats who are used to being told what to do by others.

So you hate it here but when someone suggests leaving to find a place you might love better you attack them. Make it make sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a great place to raise kids! The Smithsonian is here, and all of it is free. There are tons of people from all over the world (Worldbank/diplomats/think tanks etc) and state dept and military folks who transition in and out. With so much diversity and culture, I think DC is a great place to grow up in. I mean can anything in TX compare to the Library of Congress? Or jogging through the natl mall? The only downside to DC is its awful weather so you and I may not be seeing eye to eye. I also can't stand Miami.

Not how crowded it is? Not the insane traffic? The terrible public transportation? The incredibly high cost of living? I could go on and on.

Where in the area do you live that you have these problems? We live in DC and have no insane traffic, no problems with public transportation, and live here because our jobs afford us the cost of living.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Northwest DC and went to a big three. I did not have fun in high school. It was exhausting and stressful and not fun. I worked so hard I averaged 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night. Sorry.

i think it's terrible that kids in the DMV work harder in HS than college. Awful.

Totally agree, but it’s not “all” kids in the dmv - it’s just at these especially competitive private schools in NW DC, like the “big 3” or 5. The fact that people on this board, and occasionally in real life, actually think outsiders at other private schools envy those kids and families is so sad. Yes admissions are competitive but that’s because this area has a lot of strivers, not because those schools are inherently more valuable than other good private schools.

Btw OP if you are committed to staying in the area I think the answer is to look outside DC. We’ve personally found Alexandria to have more of a small community feel, and certainly more laid back and lower pressure, than places like Chevy Chase. There are still great private schools there, several for elementary school in particular. I’m sure there are other pockets outside the district like Alexandria as well (though, definitely not Arlington or McLean, which are quite intense but more public schools focused. Falls Church seems lovely and chill, if you go the public school route, but no good private schools nearby).

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Northwest DC and went to a big three. I did not have fun in high school. It was exhausting and stressful and not fun. I worked so hard I averaged 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night. Sorry.

i think it's terrible that kids in the DMV work harder in HS than college. Awful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Northwest DC and went to a big three. I did not have fun in high school. It was exhausting and stressful and not fun. I worked so hard I averaged 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night. Sorry.

Parents. Are you listening?? The only one with real perspective!

Agree. I too went to private high school in NW DC and grew up in Bethesda. By middle school evening and weekend hours were predominantly for school work. In high school it was expected to receive 45 minutes homework for each class session, but this usually ran more like 1 hr for each class/day. There were usually 5 academic classes per day. The academic school day let out at 3. Sports from 3:30/5:30 or so, maybe longer if there was a game. Home by 6/6:30, quick dinner, then homework until midnight or so. If there was a test, project, or presentation (which there would inevitably be every week) then even later. Up at 6:30am, repeat. During school hours we used free period and any flex time between classes to put a dent in that evenings homework. Everyone worked hard, not just the top of the class. If you didn’t you just couldn’t keep up and the work would swamp you. Still found moments for fun, and second semester senior year things eased up.

My experience was a stark contrast to my neighbors who went to MOCO public school. I would hear from them about trips to the mall, driving around after school, hanging out at each other’s houses on weekdays and weekends. Just overall a lot more “hanging out” time. Yes, there was socializing in my private school too but so much less and no flexibility for this regular hang out time.

OP - I grew up like that and my kids have a similar experience. I went to a large Catholic school in PA and DC are in a large Catholic school here. I agree with PP, the best thing about living here is that there is something for everyone. I remember looking at all the summer camp options and was blown away at all the opportunity to find something that interested my DC. Every weekend there is something to do, pre-COVID there were dozens of things to do.

That being said, I think your school selection matters a great deal but a lot of good public and private options (we are in NOVA) and nearby WestPo, Hayfield and TC seem to have that give along with the DMV Catholics that were already mentioned.

Good luck!

OP don’t sweat it. There are a lot of bitter nerds on this thread. You’ll find your crew.

Anonymous wrote:What is it like to raise kids here long term? Do kids get a fun high school experience?

I grew up in suburban Miami. I had such a fun childhood. High school football games were epic. School spirit was off the charts. Artists/rappers repped Miami in songs. People went crazy for our sports teams. There was just so much culture, and people were so friendly and cool and chill and funny.

My husband and I both moved here straight from college. We've lived here 10-12 years. Have one kid. Just bought our first house. I love DC weather and we have great friends here, good jobs, etc., but I'm worried that raising kids here will be so dull and so unlike our childhoods (husband is from TX, same story I describe -- loved HS). Our kid is very little but we will probably go to public elementary school and then look at the NWDC private schools for middle and high school (which, again, is so different from my husband's and my big, public high school experiences, and we're coming to terms with that, too, but that's a different topic).

So tell me, how is it with kids here over the long term? Is high school a fun and exciting time? Like, is it fun and cool to "come of age" in DC? Is it fun to go to football games and school events?

I think it is a great place to grow up. When my kids were little we often spent time at the Air and Space museum or just had picnics on the mall -- so beautiful, so much space to run around. We even spent a good deal of time watching airplanes at the park by DCA. On weekends we would go to Glen Echo park and often for hikes on the path by the canal.

Now that they are older... ots of sports leagues, good for my one kid, and tons of performing arts, good for the other. My kids go to school at NW privates and have become great friends with other kids in their classes. We love it here and love the proximity to NYC and the East Coast corridor. If you are looking to replicate your experience, you might be disappointed. However, there is a lot this region has to offer. Best to your family.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a great place to raise kids! The Smithsonian is here, and all of it is free. There are tons of people from all over the world (Worldbank/diplomats/think tanks etc) and state dept and military folks who transition in and out. With so much diversity and culture, I think DC is a great place to grow up in. I mean can anything in TX compare to the Library of Congress? Or jogging through the natl mall? The only downside to DC is its awful weather so you and I may not be seeing eye to eye. I also can't stand Miami.

Not how crowded it is? Not the insane traffic? The terrible public transportation? The incredibly high cost of living? I could go on and on.

The taxes, the people, the rapid decline in the city, the crime

Yeah, you guys should move. Don't live in a place you don't love.

i don't need you to tell me what to do. Go push around your fellow Democrats who are used to being told what to do by others.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a great place to raise kids! The Smithsonian is here, and all of it is free. There are tons of people from all over the world (Worldbank/diplomats/think tanks etc) and state dept and military folks who transition in and out. With so much diversity and culture, I think DC is a great place to grow up in. I mean can anything in TX compare to the Library of Congress? Or jogging through the natl mall? The only downside to DC is its awful weather so you and I may not be seeing eye to eye. I also can't stand Miami.

Not how crowded it is? Not the insane traffic? The terrible public transportation? The incredibly high cost of living? I could go on and on.

The taxes, the people, the rapid decline in the city, the crime

Yeah, you guys should move. Don't live in a place you don't love.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I am not focused literally on football, I was just using that as an example of the culture of my childhood being very into traditional teenage and school activities. School spirit, ALL sports (like, is lax big here in the same way where people get excited to go cheer for their team?), cheerleading, dance, marching band, whatever....going to the movies/mall with your friends (whatever the present version of this is), having parties, sleepovers, going to prom, even getting into a little (innocent) trouble, dating, etc.

Like, lighten up and help me understand the culture of the lives of tweens and teens here. That's all I'm asking.

For what it's worth, my big high school was EXTREMELY cut throat and competitive in ALL ways, including academics. I'm not worried about that as much as I'm worried about a culture of sheltered, boring, insecure, awkward kids who don't like to have fun at a time that should be so much fun.

What an absolutely nasty thing to say.

I think it’s valid. Private schools here esp coddle the students. Total echo chambers of urban liberal liberal arts drones. Prob can’t even change a tire or march in a parade.

Clearly people can have different ideas of "fun."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a great place to raise kids! The Smithsonian is here, and all of it is free. There are tons of people from all over the world (Worldbank/diplomats/think tanks etc) and state dept and military folks who transition in and out. With so much diversity and culture, I think DC is a great place to grow up in. I mean can anything in TX compare to the Library of Congress? Or jogging through the natl mall? The only downside to DC is its awful weather so you and I may not be seeing eye to eye. I also can't stand Miami.

Not how crowded it is? Not the insane traffic? The terrible public transportation? The incredibly high cost of living? I could go on and on.

The taxes, the people, the rapid decline in the city, the crime