Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: integration of new members & their kids

[Robert (robert]

Kim,

Here at Eno Commons, we have a welcoming dinner for our new residents (and 
sometimes it is also the farewell dinner for our neighbors who are leaving) 
within a week after move-in.  About this time, I add the new residents to the 
phone list and listserv.  I also give them the userid/password to access the 
For Neighbors section of our web site.

I print out the ENOcyclopedia, which sounds similar to Rob Sandelin's notebook, 
and give it to our residents in a personalized binder.

Hopefully, soon after the welcoming dinner, we have an orientation meeting, 
open to the community and child care provided, where we go over the 
ENOcyclopedia and field questions.

I have not done anything special for the new kids but have not seen the new 
kids being ostracized.  The EC kids are open to having new playmates.  We have 
24 kids onsite (40% of the population) so the new kids do find someone to play 
with.

-Robert
 Eno Commons Cohousing
 Durham, NC


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <kshute1 [at] cox.net>
To: "Cohousing-L" <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2006 11:21 AM
Subject: [C-L]_ integration of new members & their kids


> 
> Hello
> I am using Rob's orienting new residents as a spring board. What tools do 
> other communties use to help new members integrate with the established 
> community? I am interested in ideas for both adults and children. 
> 
> In our community there are a bunch of children that have been together for 
> their entire lives or most of it. What do other communities do to stop the 
> new 
> kid from being ostracized? I have my own ideas but am curious about the 
> body of experience out their in the L-land.
> 
> Kim Shute, www.mosaic-commons.org
> 
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