Is A Sheltered Suburban Childhood Good For Kids?

Parents who grew up in the city but raised their children in the suburbs wonder if they made the right choice.

1 minute read

June 14, 2007, 9:00 AM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera

Mary Newsom, a columnist for the Charlotte Observer, shares some thoughts and observations of a planner friend who worries the suburban upbringing he's given his children has prevented them from learning how to interact with different people.

"As a kid, I was raised in urban neighborhoods on Cleveland's westside and close-in suburbs. We walked nearly everywhere and took the bus when it was too far.

As a result, we got to know a variety of people and have a range of experiences. As an adult parent, I (and my wife) raised our kids in the suburbs where they had their own yard, a small circle of friends and we had to drive them everywhere. Despite my wife's and my best efforts, looking at our now-grown children, I believe that their suburban upbringing deprived them of many things, including how to interact with unfamiliar people and out-of-the-ordinary experiences."

Thanks to Mary Newsom

FULL STORY: Raising teens: City v. Suburbs

Tuesday, June 12, 2007 in The Charlotte Observer

Social / Demographics North Carolina

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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