It's hard to be a part of the community when I have to move every year because my rent keeps going up.
Deterioration of local community a major driver of loss of play-based childhood
151–160 of 480 posts
Re: Deterioration of local community a major driver of loss of play-based childhood
#152The article rings true to me.
I don't think that we want to try to turn the clock back, as much as trying to find ways to combine the good parts of past and present norms, while excising the bad parts.
I'm a parent of 4 small children in a smallish town (16k, single school at each grade level), and I'm cherishing the sense of community much more than I expected. There's something to having shared context with almost every person I run into in town. I only wish I felt like it were safe for my kids to explore on foot.
We also live by my wife's entire extended family, and that, too, has been incredibly helpful.
I was raised in a tight knit Baptist church, and while I don't miss the theology, I do think the sense of community, service, values, and culture is something that I don't have a full substitute for, as much as I have the town and family communities. I'm considering seeking out a non-creedal group to belong to, like the Unitarian Universalists.
Re: Deterioration of local community a major driver of loss of play-based childhood
#153The design of the physical environment is in no small part responsible for this. Don't believe me go to Europe and Japan where kids are still allowed to walk and bike to school, to friends places and just in general play and exist outside unattended to a much higher degree than in the US. Because in the US they would be roadkill, and even if they somehow survived outside of a car, car centric design means there's now…
My particular bugbear here is the absolutely insanity of truck and SUV heights, to the point that even full-grown adults are no longer clearly visible from inside new vehicles ( https://i.imgur.com/1dHWVxn.png ).
I'm in Eastern Europe; I've only seen an "American-style" SUV once I think two decades ago. I still can't get that image out of my mind. It was like a tank in front of my car. I couldn't understand how it fits our streets, how it parks, I couldn't see around it. Just... wow, honestly. I have no idea what car it was, but it was like a huge pick-up.
Re: Deterioration of local community a major driver of loss of play-based childhood
#154Earlier quoted context omitted.
What you're saying doesn't hold up. Japan: > Road fatalities per 100 000 population: 2.6 USA: > Road fatalities per 100 000 population: 13.8 [0] https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/japan-road-safe... [1] https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/historical-fatalit...
That’s because they’re still far better drivers than us.
It's amazing to see in China too ... cars pulling out everywhere in front of each other, weaving in and out of traffic.
However I suspect there are less road accidents there per capita than here in Australia since everybody there has to pay attention and is patient with other drivers. Australian drivers either tune out or are too aggressive (road rage) and cause more accidents.
Re: Deterioration of local community a major driver of loss of play-based childhood
#155Earlier quoted context omitted.
9pm and you don’t know where your 9 year old is? That going too far in the other direction in my opinion. How is she doing academically? I feel like that much freedom, that early, makes it easy to pick up bad habits with the “bad” kids.
I mean this happens with my 9 year old. We have a parent group chat and just ask who knows where the crew is
Such a great use of group chat. Thanks!
Re: Deterioration of local community a major driver of loss of play-based childhood
#156It's hard to be a part of the community when I have to move every year because my rent keeps going up.
Just pull yourself up by your bootstraps into a house! Easy.
Re: Deterioration of local community a major driver of loss of play-based childhood
#157Earlier quoted context omitted.
guess what kills the most children, criminals or cars?
If only we made killing children with your car a crime.
I recently lived in Portland when a teen was killed by a car in the southeast part of the city. The guy fled back to Saudi Arabia and no semblance of justice occurred. In the real world, vehicular crimes are seen as just a part of life. Consider the common term "car accident" and the absolving of responsibility it implies.
Re: Deterioration of local community a major driver of loss of play-based childhood
#158Earlier quoted context omitted.
We need reforms to the method the EPA uses to calculate and enforce fuel efficiency requirements. It's the direct driver of the gigantifucation of vehicles.
GWB sure did a nice favor for those corps his last couple years in office
Are you referring to some specific reform? Could you give a link? I'd like to read up on it
Re: Deterioration of local community a major driver of loss of play-based childhood
#159Re: Deterioration of local community a major driver of loss of play-based childhood
#160The article rings true to me. I don't think that we want to try to turn the clock back, as much as trying to find ways to combine the good parts of past and present norms, while excising the bad parts. I'm a parent of 4 small children in a smallish town (16k, single school at each grade level), and I'm cherishing the sense of community much more than I expected. There's something to having shared context with almost…
> I only wish I felt like it were safe for my kids to explore on foot.
Why do you feel it's unsafe?