Cohousing-L Mailing List: Teens in Cohousing

[Fred H. Olson (fholson]

Mary Ann Jones,  Southside Park Cohousing, <JONEMA [at] dwq.swrcb.ca.gov>
is the author of the message below but due to a problem it was posted
by the Fred the list manager:  fholson@cohousing org

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I am interested in hearing about how other groups are handling their
teens.  By teens, I mean the kids who are 11-16.  Cohousing appears to be
a little hard on this group of kids.  We have a playground and well
stocked room for the younger kids and really nothing for the older kids.

We are currently on our second go-around with them.  When we moved in we
had a large group (mostly boys) who have now all moved on.  Now we have a
second large group (mostly girls).  We had a teen room when we started,
but because of group dissatisfaction with the way the room was decorated
and used we changed it to a general use room.  Now the teens are
complaining that there is no space for them and nothing for them to do.  
Currently, they hang out on peoples porches or in the alley at the
basketball hoop.  This is fine for the summer, but it is starting to cool
off (at least some days are starting to be cooler) and it is going to be
more difficult.

I am interested in what facilities other groups have for their teens and
how much the teens have used them.  How are the teens integrated into the
population, or are they?  What do you do about neighborhood kids and the
use of the common house with the cohousing kids?  Are neighborhood kids a
problem?

We do not have a work requirement for the kids, but some of the parents
make their kids participate in their chores.  I always have my kids help
with the meals.

My interest in this is more than academic.  I am the parent of two of the
teens in the group.  My teens are not very involved with the other teens,
mostly because my daughter is on the young side of the other teens and my
son is on the older side.  They are also very involved with their own
activitites.  However, they do have some interaction with the others and I
think that if there were facilities and activities they would participate.

Anybody have experience?

Maryann Jones
Southside Park Cohousing