Is Your Town Family Friendly?

A lot about your living situation changes when you have children. Your significant other and you will start to look at your days a lot differently. The way you look at your environment changes, too. Every parent wants to raise their kids in a good neighborhood, but it’s difficult to recognize what a good neighborhood actually looks like. When you are considering moving somewhere, or taking a look at the place where you already live, here are a few different questions to ask yourself about whether or not your town is family friendly…

Is there prevalent drug use?

Drugs and addiction are a hot topic in America, today. Addiction rates have consistently climbed to become a full-blown epidemic in this country, and is an issue that affects every class, race, and ethnicity. However, different neighborhoods suffer disproportionately from this problem. When looking at a neighborhood, be sure to check the statistics on drug crimes that occur. If need be, you can even stop by your local police station to ask these sorts of questions. Indeed, it’s beneficial to ask about all crime rates, in general.

At the end of the day, though, if you want to keep your children safe from the harms of substance abuse, it’s important to have a considered conversation with them about drugs and tell them that they have the power to say no.

How green are your surroundings?

There are countless studies that have shown the impact that green spaces have on neighborhoods. In urban environments, even slight raises in the amount of trees and bushes were shown to profoundly reduce the rate of crime, improve the physical and mental health of everyone in an area, and improve the air quality of a neighborhood. A surplus of trees is a strong benefit to a neighborhood. For this reason, it’s important to examine whether your town is more of a concrete jungle, or if it has ample spaces that make for a better environment to raise your children.

Are there places made for kids?

A family friendly town will have lots of amenities that are specifically designed for kids and families. Specifically, look for parks that have lots of fun things to do, including playgrounds, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, swing sets, and such things. Take a drive around the neighborhood and see if you can see other kids outside, or if there are people taking walks. If nobody is out and about on a sunny day, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a place is bad for families, but it doesn’t give the impression that a neighborhood is a great family environment.

Do other families move there?

Typically, a family friendly neighborhood tends to attract lots of families. That’s part of the reason the environment evolves to be the way it is. For this reason, you should always check to see if other families are living nearby, or are opting to move to this neighborhood. Even stop by and ask a couple of them how they feel about the town.

This goes beyond just neighborhoods, as well. The demographics of entire cities and states are continuously shifting based on what amenities and advantages they present to families and professionals. Here’s an interesting article about some of the top 3 states that people are opting to move to, currently.

Could you talk with your neighbor?

Neighborhoods are much better places to live when there is a feeling of open communication. Neighbors who would rather slam the door and close the shutters all the time aren’t likely to add up to a great living environment for your family. When you are thinking of moving to a new neighborhood, or thinking of moving out of your current one, ask yourself if you can openly talk to your neighbors, or if there are people in the neighborhood who contribute to a better setting for families.