Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

What we lost when we stopped letting kids leave the front yard

stevemagness.substack.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

341–350 of 632 posts

Re: What we lost when we stopped letting kids leave the front yard

#341

Post by grvdrm »

throw0101c wrote: post #311
grvdrm wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Something I don't see mentioned often in this discussion: what's a "long distance" Is there a formal measure or comprehensive view on that question? I lived in Manhattan (NYC). Walked a mile at a time (or more) without thinking about it. To/from work, in cold, in rain, etc. Now I'm in NYC 'burbs. The train is 1.1 miles from my house. I walk that distance on occasion but not often. My wife drives to/from train most da…

> Something I don't see mentioned often in this discussion: what's a "long distance". Is there a formal measure or comprehensive view on that question? It may partly be psychological: in 'the city' there is human activity and you do not feel isolated, and you feel part of societal activity. > I also live in what feels like a dense suburb. Many houses close to each other. Example: https://maps.app.goo.gl/KBcvG5vnnh48h…

Sidewalks are missing there but there are plenty in town.

I used to live in two of the streetcar suburbs: Newton Ma, and Brookline Ma. They are indeed more urban than suburban in many spots, but again, proximity matters. Those places feel more urban when you live near the MBTA Green Line (the streetcar) - let's say within 10 min walk.

Re: What we lost when we stopped letting kids leave the front yard

#342

Post by matthewowen »

whoodle wrote: post #236
doctoboggan wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Build environments where children can be independent, and they might even want to be. We _have_ built these environments, you just choose not to live in them. Move to a city or other urban center. Your house might be smaller, and you might have to take public transit sometimes, but you will be happier and there will be no shortage of places for your kid to walk.

I’m sorry, but so few of these urban environments are affordable with good schools. I lived in Philadelphia and we chose to leave when our son was young because the schools generally aren’t good (most don’t even have libraries, but this is a whole different topic), the green space barely exists and isn’t maintained, and I’d never feel safe with my kid taking the transit. NYC and Boston seem like the only east coast o…

Philadelphia is absolutely an option, but it depends on the neighborhood. Eg if you live in the penn alexander, greenfield, or meredith catchments you have a great elementary/middle school and there are lot of kids of late elementary/early middle school age moving around the city independently.

I live in west philly and it is great: the park is excellent and lots of kids safely go there by themselves, the local school is very good. Transit (specifically the trolley) is good and safe.

Re: What we lost when we stopped letting kids leave the front yard

#343

Post by buellerbueller »

Xirdus wrote: post #282
skandinaff wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So how do we get out of this mess? Because now, as an adult, I see no value in those electronic gadgets, videogames, especially at ages <16yo. Do we create laws and ban all of this? The democrats among us will scream and shout. Leave it to "each family's consideration" and we'll get the lowest common denominator scenario.

There is huge value in being acquainted with computers at a young age, especially if they end up in STEM or some white collar job.

infinite tiktok scrolling != "being acquainted with computers" in the way you are stating here

Re: What we lost when we stopped letting kids leave the front yard

#344

Post by buellerbueller »

breezybottom wrote: post #270
oersted wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a European, I don’t understand why there’s such resistance to this. I get it NIMBY, but why? Surely good amenities would improve property values and life quality. If it’s right next to your home all the better. Peaceful quietness is so overrated by US and northern Europe. It feels creepy and dead to me, a liminal space. Besides, modern insulation does wonders for blocking noise if that bothers you, not to mention…

That's easy to say if you'd never had to live in a slum, but constant noise actually has negative health effects.

Apparently all cities now are slums?

Re: What we lost when we stopped letting kids leave the front yard

#346

Post by breezybottom »

buellerbueller wrote: post #344
breezybottom wrote: post #270

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's easy to say if you'd never had to live in a slum, but constant noise actually has negative health effects.

Apparently all cities now are slums?

Us plebians don't live in expensive NYC penthouses.

Re: What we lost when we stopped letting kids leave the front yard

#347

Post by streb-lo »

jhide wrote: post #251
streb-lo wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I grew up in a suburb like yours. I'm raising my kids in a suburb that's by and large the same. The biggest difference, imo, is the number of families. I lived on a small street with a cul-de-sac. Maybe 35 houses or so. At least half had kids aged 0-15. I now live on a street about the same size with my kids. There is one house with ~7-10 year olds, two houses with 3-5, one house with a couple of teens, one house wit…

How old were the homes when you were a kid?

They were all new-ish builds at the time, built a couple years before I was born.

Re: What we lost when we stopped letting kids leave the front yard

#348

Post by ryandrake »

ghaff wrote: post #297
NoLinkToMe wrote: post #287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me it's as much culture as it is work. In fact I live in the capital city of my country, even though my work has not always been here. I live here because it has world class restaurants, bars, museums, architecture, parks, gyms, a dozen public swimming pools and a million amenities you wouldn't even think of but are fun to do once or twice, like there's dedicated restaurants where you can play jeux de boules. And…

I guess. I have a season ticket to a theater about an hour away. There are also local concerts/theater out where I live. I see theater when I travel. I actually have decent restaurants out where I live but don't use them much. I guess I'm also not sure how this running into philosophers and musicians works. Maybe if I were actively involved with a university which I actually am to some degree. Of course, different pe…

Rural vs suburban vs urban life will always be a matter of personal preference. There are people who would die of boredom outside of a city, and people who would die of anxiety in a city. Beware of anyone saying there is one "correct" environment to live in.

Re: What we lost when we stopped letting kids leave the front yard

#349

Post by BurningFrog »

ryandrake wrote: post #318
cbondurant wrote: post #296

I remember being young when "kids don't play in the yard anymore, they just play on their phone/consoles/computer" started to be a big talking point. Even then I recognized that the reason I was on the computer so much was, at least in part, because it was so much easier to hang out with my friends online than it was to coordinate with my parents to try and get travel to their house, or to convince my parents to let…

Good point about the proliferation of the absurd “crime” of loitering, which apparently just means “existing somewhere without spending money.” I remember being a teen in the 80s and what we did every day would be considered “loitering” today. There’s not much else for kids to do outside the home besides loiter.

So why were loitering laws introduced? I doubt it was purely a sadistic effort to ruin the lives of kids.

My guess is that combatting gang crime was a major reason.

Post reply on HN