There is a case to be made in choosing between city life and suburban life. You may want to live in the city because of job opportunities, but it’s quite different when the kids are involved. What’s best for you may not necessarily be best for them. Sure, you want your kids to grow up cultured and ready to take on the world. But really, is that how futuristic you are with your one-year-old kid? You want to show them the “real” world and not the happy suburban life that they deserve?
Worry about them being cultured in the future. Right now, if there’s land for sale in the suburbs that you think is perfect for your family, take a chance and check it out. Parents are so busy thinking of ways to turn their kids into the career men and women they see in the movies. They don’t think about what’s best for them right now. There’s a huge difference between wanting your kids to be city-ready in the future and wanting them to be happy now.
More Space
You can afford a bigger house in the suburbs. You can get more for the price you’re willing to pay an apartment in New York City. Why does this matter? Your kids need space. They need a playroom. They need a garden or backyard where they can play with their friends and siblings. City life doesn’t offer you that. What it offers are congested parks and minuscule malls. There’s barely space in a city apartment for two rooms, much less a playroom where your kids can develop their musical and artistic skills. You are all cramped in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn. Do you think that’s how your kids are supposed to spend their days?
Think about the difference during this pandemic. What’s the difference between kids in the city and the suburbs? Those who are in the city have to stay indoors in a tiny apartment. They have a balcony that looks over the city, but that’s as much space as their parents can afford. Kids in the suburbs are not going out as much, too, for fear of contracting the virus. However, they have a backyard where there’s a swing, slide, see-saw, and a makeshift pool. That makes all the difference in the world.
Cheaper Living Expenses
Suburban living allows you to save more for your kids’ college tuition. Living in the city has its perks, but it is also expensive. You’re throwing money down the drain because of expensive real estate. Instead of that money going to your kids’ college fund, it’s going straight to your landlord’s pockets. It’s a waste of money, especially when you think about what that can buy in the suburbs.
You can provide better things for your kids when you’re living in the suburbs. They can have more toys, adventures, travels, and experiences. You’ll have a better chance of providing for them minus all the financial stress that city life brings.
Sense of Community
Are you worried that your kids will grow up without culture? But what culture does city life can provide for the kids? What is it that the suburbs cannot offer? You can bring your kids to the city once or twice a month. If you live an hour away, you can take that excursion. It’s good for them to see what the city has to offer, too.
However, there are plenty of cultural activities in the suburbs, too. There’s a community theater, the cinema, and some school musicals. Sure, they cannot compete with Broadway shows, but they do offer something the city cannot: a sense of community. Your children will develop a lifetime worth of friendships. They will be a part of a community and that will boost their confidence and self-esteem.
They cannot get this from the city where neighbors change every month or so. People are always moving that there’s not enough time to develop relationships with them. The adults are too busy that they barely know their kids’ friends. There are minimal playdates, so there’s no time to get to know people.
This argument of the city- or suburban-living has always been at the forefront of the parents’ challenge to raise a family. But when you dive deep into the core of the argument, the questions remain: what will be best for your kids? Where will they have the best childhood? Every family is different, especially the circumstances in which they find themselves. But whenever you feel lost, look at your kids and decide based on what’s best for the family.
