Cohousing-L Mailing List: community building and child/family involvement

[Anne L. Varberg (Anne.L.Varberg-2]

I've been enjoying the posts here for a few weeks now and am intrigued with the 
co-housing concept.  Can any of you point me to some resources for building 
community in one's present living situation?  I've seen web pages for a couple 
of urban setting co-housing communities and have read some off the libertynet 
pages.  I can't see our family getting involved in (or being truly committed to)
a start-up co-ho project when we havn't yet made a significant effort at 
building community where we live now.  Does this feeling make sense to the rest 
of you?  What did you do/try before going the co-ho route?  Can you offer some 
suggestions?  On or off-list responses would be fine-whatever you feel is 
appropriate.  Can't really tell if this is on-topic for the list or not....

On the second topic, it's my feeling that parents can be encouraged to involve 
their children in their own community work tasks - the parents would know their 
kids' abilities best.  It becomes a different challenge as the kids become young
adults.  Perhaps the community needs to recognize their growing maturity in a 
symbolic/ceremonial sort of way, like when they enter Jr High or Middle School 
they choose which committee/work area to be a part of, and a committee member 
(other than a parent) could mentor the young adult.  I think it is so wonderful 
that these communities have been so successful that they are going on their 
second generation!  That is exciting!  I think it is sad if parents are not 
encouraging their kids to take part in the life of the community that they 
helped to build for their kids.  Watching tv or playing Nintendo instead of 
gardening or baking?  Very sad.

Anne in Minneapolis (Folwell Neighborhood in North Minneapolis)