Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Balancing Children and Creating Cohousing

[Lynn Nadeau (welcome]

I endorse the wisdom of the various responses to your inquiry, such as 
Rob Sandelin's. 

And I can offer a different point of view. In a group like ours, which 
was low on capital and high on do-it-yourself, we founders -- who had 4 
year olds when we started--- are now watching our kids headed out into 
the world, ten years later, and planning a playroom in the common house 
for some future generation of little kids. Because we had to do it in our 
spare time, while working and raising families, it took a long time, and 
thousands of hours of meetings, and our own kids kind of missed it. 
Fortunately, our surrounding town is a great place for kids, so they've 
had a good life anyway, but not principally  because of the cohousing. 

My 14 year old is headed out of state to a boarding high school. The 
neighbor's daughter is finishing up high school. I have a big collection 
of preschool stuff for the common house. I'm glad we will (we hope) have 
little kids here, but they aren't those of the founders. 

If I had a little kid, and the option available where I wanted to be 
located, I'd join an existing group, one that is totally up and running. 
and save years of process. 

Lynn Nadeau
RoseWind Cohousing
Port Townsend WA
20 families, room for about 4 more
a great small town for children- with it all just 5-10 minutes away from 
RoseWind
Common house going to construction drawings this week!