Re: creating cohesive cohousing kids' culture | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: dahako (dahako![]() |
|
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2008 10:06:02 -0700 (PDT) |
Hi- Having lived with my kids in 2 cohousing neighborhoods now, I strongly agree with Sharon that open discussion of issues is the key to establishing a workable culture. Pay attention to how you are all affecting each other, point it out to kids as it happens (look, John is unhappy with your running under his feet; Sierra really likes how you lowered your voice indoors), and give parents, non-parents, and kids "permission" to safely raise issues. Then live it for a few years before you make more than a very few rules. At Eno Commons, I think we had 6 or 7 rules. The two most important in the early going were: You can't say 'you can't play' in common space, and Be kind in all things. The parents also unanimously gave the non-parents permission to send any child home at the non-parents sole discretion, provided the adult followed up later with the parent. One of my kids is 17 and she has been in and around cohousing almost continuously all her life. She is definitely a better person for it, and we have been better parents because of it. She contributes to the community in her own ways and she has learned to listen to others. She also expects to be heard, because she has always been listened to. Jessie Handforth Kome Eastern Village Cohousing Silver Spring, MD "Where different households have different rules inside, and it all works anyway." Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
- Re: creating cohesive cohousing kids' culture, (continued)
-
Re: creating cohesive cohousing kids' culture Sharon Villines, June 4 2008
- Re: creating cohesive cohousing kids' culture Rob Sandelin, June 4 2008
-
Re: creating cohesive cohousing kids' culture Gerald Manata, June 4 2008
- Re: creating cohesive cohousing kids' culture Laura Fitch, June 5 2008
- Re: creating cohesive cohousing kids' culture dahako, June 4 2008
-
Re: creating cohesive cohousing kids' culture Robert Heinich, June 4 2008
- Re: creating cohesive cohousing kids' culture Sharon Villines, June 4 2008
- Re: creating cohesive cohousing kids' culture Robert Heinich, June 4 2008
-
Re: creating cohesive cohousing kids' culture Sharon Villines, June 4 2008
Results generated by Tiger Technologies Web hosting using MHonArc.