If you love living in a small town, could you share why?

[homeschoolally]

DH is considering a position in a tiny town (population less than 2000) and in weighing the pros and cons I could use some input from homeschoolers who have btdt.

 

Coming up with negatives has been easy because there are specific things we're losing. Having never lived in a small town myself, I don't have any experience to know the upside. I'd love to hear why some of you love living and homeschooling in a small town.

 

I've already been in touch with the leader of their homeschool group. Sounds like they're fairly active, with about 100 participants coming from surrounding counties.

 

This is a small town surrounded by other small towns about an hours drive in all directions, with the first decent-sized city over an hour away. It is a retirement destination, with a perfect (for us) climate and a 'Mayberry' feel to it.

 

I think it is very possible we'd be happy there, we're homebodies and don't really take advantage of most of the 'city-life' where we live now. If the kids had a few good friends and there was a nice park nearby we'd replicate about 80% of our current lifestyle.

 

The main things we're concerned about losing are sports for the kids, restaurants for occassional date nights, Target, and a good health food store. We aren't big shoppers, but do like having a few grocery stores to choose from and a Sams.

 

Can some of you share what you love about living in a small town? I'm sure there are benefits we haven't considered.

 

Thanks so much!

[northcoast]

:bigear:

[Remudamom]

Let's see,

 

My kids can go to the local store and charge stuff if they run out of cash because Dixie and Shotzie know I'll come in and pay.

 

I can buy tomatoes from a local down the road and just leave the money in his yard.

 

The post lady notices if I put a bill payment in the envelope upside down, and she'll open it, fix it so the address shows and then tape it back up for me.

 

The post man makes sure packages get into the house if we're not home because otherwise I'd fuss at him at church.

 

I know who all the good guys are, and I know the bad guys too.

 

People stop you on the street to ask you how your pony's leg is doing.

 

The math teacher down the road is always happy for my kids to drop by with math questions.

 

Math teacher's husband takes my boys fishing.

 

You wave at EVERYBODY that you pass on the roads.

 

If you run into a rude kid at the park all you have to say is "Behave or I'll call your mom, dad, and your grandparents on both sides" and you know all their phone numbers too, and you could even call their aunts and uncles.

 

I pretty much keep to myself, but I really enjoy having a small town down the road.

[Denisemomof4]

the people are friendlier, usually. In small towns, it's easy to get to know everyone, although it's harder when you don't have your kids in school. People in small towns tend to band together and help one another more.

 

You will learn to group your errands together and learn to shop wisely so that you stock up and don't need to be running to stores more often.

 

You are lucky the town you're thinking of has a homeschool group. Many do not. I'm blessed with one but when I was homeschooling my boys there was nothing locally.

 

We live far out yet close to it all. I have everything major within 5 miles (small grocery store, pharmacy, dr, dentist, bank, etc.) yet I'm still 20 minutes from everything major. I live on a one lane dirt road and it's pure HEAVEN.

 

I think families that live out in the country tend to spend more time together. There are no kids in our neighborhood and honestly, I don't think my kids have missed out on anything. It makes them closer. We have playdates/social times regularly.

[mazakaal]

This pretty much describes our current situation.

 

The hardest thing for me is meeting other people and finding other homeschoolers. If you will have a good, active homeschool group, that's half the battle, imho. We've never had a lot of sports activities around us, so we don't really miss it. I'm sure there are a few good restaurants out there for the occasional date night. You may just not have the variety, but you'll get used to that I'm sure.

 

Shopping is a pain in the neck sometimes. This past Saturday I tried to run a few errands and every place I needed to go in the closest 'town' (about 20 minutes away) was closed at 2:30 on Saturday afternoon. I couldn't believe it. I ended up at a larger town 40 minutes from my house where I got most of my errands done. The closest big city is over an hour away, and with petrol prices being what they are, we don't get there often.

 

You may want to check into the library situation there. Our libraries our really bad, so I have to buy any books that I want for homeschooling, which is a bit of a pain.

 

The main benefit for me is being recognized by the lady that owns the newsagent and the pet shop. I like that personal feel that you get in a small town. I know some people hate that 'everybody knows your business', but I think it's kind of cool. We've recently moved, but in our last home, we lived a five minute walk from the village. I felt comfortable letting my boys walk to the village with each other or with friends because I knew that enough of the shopkeepers knew them and would keep an eye on them and let us know if they were getting into anything they shouldn't. It was great accountability.

 

I will say, though, even after 10 years of being in rural England, I still miss Target. :crying:

[Rich with Kids]

We live in a village with our own Fire and Police Dept., and city government.

 

The cops have no problem stopping my kids to tell them to "Knock if off".

 

My kids can walk to the corner store and like Remudamom's store, Shawn and B will take off a few cents if all of my kid's pennies don't add up to their purchase.

 

Any given night, I have an extra kid eating dinner or a snack with us and their folks don't give a rip.

 

Everyone gets a nod, wave or head tilt while driving by another resident and the cops that patrol 24/7.

[2squared]

We live in Mayberry! Our little town is very similar to the one you described - it is pop of 1500 with an hour drive to a big city of 10,000 with Target, Walmart, restaurants, etc. We've been here for 1.5 years, and I love everything except the drive and the weather. Since you don't plan on living in MN prairie winter, the weather won't be a problem for you. :001_smile:

 

I don't know about your small town, but our small town is really in the middle of nowhere. Peope don't come here accidentally - they don't drive through or sightsee or anything. We have no major roads running through town. When out-of-towners are in town, we all know. In fact, when we first moved here, my BIL came to see us. He didn't have directions or cell reception (we aren't even in google directions or Mapquest), so he pulled into the gas station in town and asked how to get to our house. The lady at the counter told him which house we were renting in town and which house we had bought in the country.

 

I grew up in a Mayberry, so this small town feels right to us. We shop our Main Street as much as possible which while more expensive, is the only way to support our community and keep it healthy. I want my kids to be free-range, and living here makes it possible. Almost everyone in town knows my kids, so there are eyes on them at all times. My 8yo and 6yo comfortably walk around town. They can ride their bikes to the library, swimming pool, grocery store, etc.

 

The people we see in church are the people we interactive with on a daily basis. Our neighbors are incredible, and they expect to be relied upon. Last year we didn't have a snowblower yet, and our neighbors voluntarily took turns bringing their tractors and snowblowers over to blow us out -for the entire long winter. My teens will never be able to have a unauthorized party at our house. The police patrol happens to drive by every hour, and, well, those eyes would be on our house if we were out of town.

 

If 20 kids are there at the swimming pool, it's a crowd. The teen lifeguards know all the kids and the parents. I can drop my 8yo and 6yo off there to swim without worry b/c I know the lifeguards and they know us. As importantly, my dc know the teens and feel comfortabe approaching them with questions or concerns.

 

My 8yo takes PE/music/art at the public school. She rides our little city bus home. Once again, the bus driver knows us and we know him so I am comfortable with my 8yo doing this. It's so small town. The kids who ride the city bus buy little bus passes. The driver keeps their bus passes and marks off each ride. Then, when the pass is used up, he sends a note home with the kid. The kids, however, continue riding and he just keeps a tally until he gets paid.

 

I safey leave my kids in the running van while I run errands in town. One day I was in the grocery store checking out behind the police chief, and I asked him if I would get in trouble for leaving my kids in the van. He knows us, and he is quite aware my kids are all young. Anyway, he told me that he didn't have any issue with the kids being in the van by themselves as long as they weren't driving it. :lol:

 

And, after all that, my dh is the one county prosecutor. He sees all the criminals and less-than-desirable behavior in our town and surrounding area. Sure we have crime, but it's minor. His bigger cases are check writing fraud and DUIs. This community has never had major crime. Doesn't mean it won't or can't happen, of course, but it isn't happening now.

 

Oh, I almost forgot. I love that major shopping is difficult to get to. The kids around here don't have the latest and greatest of anything. They don't wear name brand labels, and they aren't off doing expensive activities. We don't have any "Jones" to keep up with. Materialism isn't an issue for us at all. Even most of the houses are old. Our farm house is 150 years old, but I would consider a house from the 1970s to be a newer style for this community.

 

I don't know if this helps or answers your questions. I love the slow way of life and the hominess.

[homeschoolally]

This has been so helpful.

 

I've really enjoyed reading your posts.

 

Great point about the library--will look into that ASAP. That is a big factor for us. If they have interlibrary loan I could live with that and Amazon Prime.

 

Reading your posts reminded me about how my oldest always wanted to live in 'Odyssey' from Adventures in Odyssey because the kids could hang out in town by themselves. :001_smile:

 

I'm with ya on the materialism factor--that is one of my favorite side-benefits to homeschooling.

 

Thanks again, and hope you won't mind if I ask more questions as this unfolds. I'm pretty convinced that it is the right move....now convincing my husband that I'm convinced----that is another story! Your personal stories will really help with that.

[AMDG]

Yes, yes, yes to all things others have posted.

 

Plus...

 

-If you have extra garbage that won't fit in the can,the garbage man will take care of it free of charge.

 

-Your doctors and dentists, etc. actually KNOW you. For us, that is HUGE. Having the man sitting across from you at church deliver your baby might seem a bit freaky, but really, there is a level of trust that makes me very comfortable.

 

- "Coziness" We've lived in the city before, but there is something very inviting and relaxing about small towns. I'm rarely on edge when I'm driving or out and about; everything feels safe comfortable.

 

- As far as homeschooling goes, it seems like there are "pockets" depending on the geography. Our small town has a HUGE homeschooling population, much bigger than the bigger town a half hour away. For a town without a stoplight, the homeschoolers have a co-op and run like a corporation.

 

- Many small towns are geographically appealing, i.e., lakes, mountains, rivers, trees. Many are also tourist destinations. This makes for activities not typical of a city.

 

I hope to always live in a small town. I had a moment where I resisted and thought I needed the city, but no, I'm happy feeling like a contributing member of the community :-)

[easygoer]

We just moved at the beginning of the week to a small town. I can give you one story of what I thought was a huge Pro, that I wasn't even really thinking about.

 

I had it on my (enormous) todo list to return a modem to Time Warner. No big deal, I just had it in my head I was going to get the modem, look up[ the address and direction, drive there park, drop it off, drive home. I hadn't actually literally gone though those steps in my head or anything, it was just a vague picture and I had mentally blocked off at least 40 minutes (or more?) for it and wasn't, you know, looking forward to it.

 

I was walking the 2 blocks from my apt. to the Post Office and walked by a store front with a big Time Warner sign in the window.

 

I love living here! One word 'walkability.' Which translates to time and productivity. The last time I started my car was Tuesday. Love it.

 

(Knowing your neighbors is gravy!)

[amy g.]

Once, my husband locked his keys in the truck at the feed store. he was about to call me to bring him the spare key, but Nelda behind the counter said, "Don't make her come down here. Take my truck to pick up the key."

 

I love it!

[Guest Katia]

DH is considering a position in a tiny town (population less than 2000) and in weighing the pros and cons I could use some input from homeschoolers who have btdt.

 

Coming up with negatives has been easy because there are specific things we're losing.

 

I wanted to respond to this part of your post. Just be aware that negatives are not always something that you are losing when moving to a small town. Sometimes the negatives are simply that you are an outsider. You are not someone who has grown up in that town nor have your relatives for generations before you; people are not as willing to accept you because you do not, in their eyes, belong there.

 

The very active homeschool group with families coming from nearby towns.....our experience has been that these families are related somehow, or have always been members of the nearby towns and know each other. Newbies are viewed with suspect, are treated politely and respectfully, but are not invited to non-group functions, and sometimes not told of group functions (oh, 'accidentally', of couse).

 

I'm sorry if that sounds overly negative.....but when you are looking to move the negatives are not just what you are losing or giving up from your current location. Sometimes the negative can not be seen until you are all moved and you are stuck there, and just wish, wish, wish someone had told you how small-minded small town people can be.

 

On the plus side is your relationships with the professionals:

 

I can call my vet any time of day or night and he will go to his office to see my cats on weekends ("I'll meet you there in 10 minutes") if it's an emergency (without me having to pay extra). I can call his HOME.

 

My dentist calls me after he gets home at night, after any procedure on myself or my kids just to check up on us to see how we are. He'll even run over to my house if things don't sound 'right' to him.

 

My dr. asks about my kids when I go to see him....he remembers their names, where they are going to college, what they are majoring in....and he even asks about my dad who visits and occasionally will see this dr.

 

The car repair place is happy to bill for payment, and they will drive you home when you drop off your car to be fixed, and then drive your car home for you when it's ready.

 

Stuff like that is great. But, we've had to live in this small town for over 11 years before we got to this point. It was really, really rough for the first 10 years......

[MaMa2005]

I wanted to respond to this part of your post. Just be aware that negatives are not always something that you are losing when moving to a small town. Sometimes the negatives are simply that you are an outsider. You are not someone who has grown up in that town nor have your relatives for generations before you; people are not as willing to accept you because you do not, in their eyes, belong there.

 

The very active homeschool group with families coming from nearby towns.....our experience has been that these families are related somehow, or have always been members of the nearby towns and know each other. Newbies are viewed with suspect, are treated politely and respectfully, but are not invited to non-group functions, and sometimes not told of group functions (oh, 'accidentally', of couse).

 

I'm sorry if that sounds overly negative.....but when you are looking to move the negatives are not just what you are losing or giving up from your current location. Sometimes the negative can not be seen until you are all moved and you are stuck there, and just wish, wish, wish someone had told you how small-minded small town people can be.

 

 

 

Excellent point, Katia. We moved to a small town many years ago as we had been recruited at a job fair to teach there. Little did we know that the whole town was somehow related to two families. We were the outsiders and it was evident by the way we were treated. We were fortunate enough to be able to move at the end of the school year, but looking back on it, it was possibly one of the worst years we have ever had.

 

Had we been related to one of the two families that ran the town, our outlook would have been completely different.

[mammaruss]

I wanted to respond to this part of your post. Just be aware that negatives are not always something that you are losing when moving to a small town. Sometimes the negatives are simply that you are an outsider. You are not someone who has grown up in that town nor have your relatives for generations before you; people are not as willing to accept you because you do not, in their eyes, belong there.

 

 

On the plus side is your relationships with the professionals:

 

I can call my vet any time of day or night and he will go to his office to see my cats on weekends ("I'll meet you there in 10 minutes") if it's an emergency (without me having to pay extra). I can call his HOME.

 

 

The car repair place is happy to bill for payment, and they will drive you home when you drop off your car to be fixed, and then drive your car home for you when it's ready.

 

 

:iagree: We live in a town of less than 300--moved here in 1993 and we are STILL outsiders....everyone knows we are here but they act like they don't...We are self employed and we do not get much business at all from this town. Thankfully, the majority of our clients are from all over the U.S and we do not have to rely on this town!

 

We do have a grocery store 15 minutes away on each side of us. If we need a Sams or Target, etc....we do have to drive 45 minutes...which we do once a month. We do have some businesses that are GREAT to work with because the town is so small.

 

There are times that I miss being only minutes away from the rush of the larger towns/cities---but the older I get the more I despise the traffic of the larger towns!

 

What do we absolutely LOVE about where we live?? We love the peacefulness, we love our job and we love that our youngest ds is wanting to absorb all he can about the 'great outdoors'. In the last 6 months or so he has just decided that he wants to learn all he can about surviving in the wilderness. He is reading books on survival and watching survival shows on tv. We are so thankful that all he has to do is step outside to 160 acres of fields, woods, ponds galore and learn to his heart's content. He has spent all his hard earned $$ this summer on- fishing gear, hatchets, a bow n arrow, and a shotgun. He can just step outside and go fishing, do his studies by a campfire, practice gun safety, practice shooting his bow....all without leaving home! We wouldn't trade this "moment" in our lives with ds for anything!

[Crimson Wife]

I grew up in a fairly small town where there were more apple trees than people. One serious negative is that because there aren't a lot of alternatives for teens, there is a big problem with alcohol and drug abuse. If your kids are not into the whole party scene, they may find themselves socially ostracized (BTDT). I was able to earn a lot of money babysitting on Friday and Saturday nights but I hated that I couldn't have much in the way of a social life simply because I didn't drink or smoke pot.

[DarlaS]

 

Great point about the library--will look into that ASAP. That is a big factor for us. If they have interlibrary loan I could live with that and Amazon Prime.

 

 

 

Keep in mind you can order a lot of (non-perishable) health foods from amazon as well.

[tricia]

Our town has about 640 people living it. And since I have such a large family people like to tease saying we make up about half that!! But I love it. Our librarian actually knows my library card number by heart. Everyone knows where we live, who we are, that we homeschool, etc. We have friends who keep their doors unlocked just in case we need anything. Or if anyone else needs anything. There are older couples who live here and own several acres who love it when we come play on their property. Small towns are the best. We love it. The trust itself is awesome.

[LazyDazy]

I miss small town living! What I liked best about it was that you could run all of your errands quickly and still have time to stop by the park and play. Life is much slower paced so relaxing is part of everyday. The kids can play outside without having to worry about strangers lurking. Not to mention the lower cost of living, no commuting, no traffic, and farmer's markets! BTW, the library in the small town I grew up in was wonderful (and I was allowed to go by myself when I was 8 - heaven...).

 

It's not for everyone but, I love it and am counting down the days until we can go back.

[sadiegirl]

well, I'm afraid my take on a small town is not for the positive...I wish that BEFORE we had moved(with my husband's job I might add) that we had had the opportunity to find out more facts about our "small town."

 

We moved from Lafayette, LA which I loved to a small town in southern IL...a town that is feeling hard times and real estate, business growth, and school system is not good. We moved to be closer to family(both sets of grandparents) and to move to be in a better district at work for my husband.

 

I thought when we moved to a small town that we would find a quaint little town and fit right in...we moved to a town that is full of people that never left and think they are all that plus there is very little acceptance to homeschooling. There is very little activities for our kids to get active in and honestly, I HATE IT! I miss shopping, good bookstores, cultural events, good restaurants.

 

My advice is this...don't assume your small town will be Mayberry as I thought going into this move. I had visions of us staying here until my kids graduateda and knowing everyone and it being just like that Mayberry. NOT SO...we hope to move again before kids graduate hs(they are in 8th and 9th).

 

Find out about the town. Sounds like you have an active homeschool group which is really great. Also, really think about those places, activities that you enjoy in a more urban area and as in our case, ask yourself if you are willing to drive an hour for those activities.

 

I like small town but I want small town to be with 2-25 miles of a metro area with growth and opportunity.

[AudreyTN]

-If you have extra garbage that won't fit in the can,the garbage man will take care of it free of charge.

 

 

We don't have trash pick up. You either burn it or take it to the "convenience center." (Dumpsters lined up inside a fenced in area.)

[PollyOR]

I have to agree with many who have mentioned not fitting in. When I was 14 we moved back to the small town that my mom grew up in. My siblings and I did NOT fit in...ever. I lived there until I was close to 30. We now live in an even smaller town where we fit in better because this town didn't exist (former military base) until the 70's.

[GWOB]

I wanted to respond to this part of your post. Just be aware that negatives are not always something that you are losing when moving to a small town. Sometimes the negatives are simply that you are an outsider. You are not someone who has grown up in that town nor have your relatives for generations before you; people are not as willing to accept you because you do not, in their eyes, belong there. (Very true. It will often take a very long time before you are truly accepted, if it ever happens.)

 

The very active homeschool group with families coming from nearby towns.....our experience has been that these families are related somehow, or have always been members of the nearby towns and know each other. Newbies are viewed with suspect, are treated politely and respectfully, but are not invited to non-group functions, and sometimes not told of group functions (oh, 'accidentally', of couse). (Lucky for us, most local homeschoolers are not locals.)

 

I'm sorry if that sounds overly negative.....but when you are looking to move the negatives are not just what you are losing or giving up from your current location. Sometimes the negative can not be seen until you are all moved and you are stuck there, and just wish, wish, wish someone had told you how small-minded small town people can be. (YES!!! I thought everyone was so friendly when we first moved. I had this idea of Mayberry in my head. I thought it would be so easy to fit in. Wrong! We: are not local, homeschool, drive the wrong car, live in the wrong place, don't flaunt our money, are not local, are not local, and are not local.)

 

On the plus side is your relationships with the professionals: (All of these!)

 

I can call my vet any time of day or night and he will go to his office to see my cats on weekends ("I'll meet you there in 10 minutes") if it's an emergency (without me having to pay extra). I can call his HOME.

 

My dentist calls me after he gets home at night, after any procedure on myself or my kids just to check up on us to see how we are. He'll even run over to my house if things don't sound 'right' to him.

 

My dr. asks about my kids when I go to see him....he remembers their names, where they are going to college, what they are majoring in....and he even asks about my dad who visits and occasionally will see this dr.

 

The car repair place is happy to bill for payment, and they will drive you home when you drop off your car to be fixed, and then drive your car home for you when it's ready.

 

Stuff like that is great. But, we've had to live in this small town for over 11 years before we got to this point. It was really, really rough for the first 10 years......

 

Excellent point, Katia. We moved to a small town many years ago as we had been recruited at a job fair to teach there. Little did we know that the whole town was somehow related to two families. We were the outsiders and it was evident by the way we were treated. We were fortunate enough to be able to move at the end of the school year, but looking back on it, it was possibly one of the worst years we have ever had.

 

Had we been related to one of the two families that ran the town, our outlook would have been completely different.

 

Yep. Other "outsiders" often cannot get playing time in various sports because they lack the proper last name.

 

I grew up in a fairly small town where there were more apple trees than people. One serious negative is that because there aren't a lot of alternatives for teens, there is a big problem with alcohol and drug abuse. If your kids are not into the whole party scene, they may find themselves socially ostracized (BTDT). I was able to earn a lot of money babysitting on Friday and Saturday nights but I hated that I couldn't have much in the way of a social life simply because I didn't drink or smoke pot.

 

We have a huge drinking problem here. Parents are not willing to address it. When the achool tried to punish football players for smoking pot, the parents revolted.

 

well, I'm afraid my take on a small town is not for the positive...I wish that BEFORE we had moved(with my husband's job I might add) that we had had the opportunity to find out more facts about our "small town."

 

We moved from Lafayette, LA (That's where I grew up!) which I loved to a small town in southern IL...a town that is feeling hard times and real estate, business growth, and school system is not good. We moved to be closer to family(both sets of grandparents) and to move to be in a better district at work for my husband.

 

I thought when we moved to a small town that we would find a quaint little town and fit right in...we moved to a town that is full of people that never left and think they are all that plus there is very little acceptance to homeschooling. There is very little activities for our kids to get active in and honestly, I HATE IT! I miss shopping, good bookstores, cultural events, good restaurants. (I feel the same way about our town. Everyone thinks this town is the shining city on the hill. I think it is the green patch above the septic tank.)

 

My advice is this...don't assume your small town will be Mayberry as I thought going into this move. I had visions of us staying here until my kids graduateda and knowing everyone and it being just like that Mayberry. NOT SO...we hope to move again before kids graduate hs(they are in 8th and 9th).

 

Find out about the town. Sounds like you have an active homeschool group which is really great. Also, really think about those places, activities that you enjoy in a more urban area and as in our case, ask yourself if you are willing to drive an hour for those activities.

 

I like small town but I want small town to be with 2-25 miles of a metro area with growth and opportunity.

 

 

Not every small town is awful. Some are really friendly and have a sense of civic pride. Talk to people in the town. Try to get a feel for it before you commit to moving. It can be very heartbreaking when people refuse to say hello to you in public because you are not friends with the right people or don't have the same last name. But, you will meet the nicest people ever. It is neat that my kids' doctor coaches my son in wrestling and my dd in soccer. My librarians know my number by heart as well. I can let my kids play at the park without fear. Just remember, Mayberry isn't real.

[HollyDay]

I think it depends on the small town. I grew up in a small town that my father grew up in. I was a legacy and my family knew everybody. It was a comfortable, safe feeling where we didn't lock doors, folks just dropped by to visit, we could borrow that key recipe ingredient we were lacking from a neighbor, walk to the grocery store, ride our bikes from one house to another. It was nice.

 

Fast forward. 6 years ago dh was transferred to a small town where we "ain't from around here". We are outsiders. Many folks are nice and treat us politely, but we are not included.

 

Homeschool friendliness also depends on the area. Some areas are very active and very inclusive no matter the size of the town. Some are just not that way.

 

Practically speaking, what will you need to do to make small town living workable for you family? Do you need to plan trips? Are shopping areas quite a distance away so running out for a quart of milk will not be so easy? Do you have health issues that require medical services that might not be easy to find in a small town? Do you have hobbies that might be hard to find supplies? Are there religious or civic organizations that you enjoy but not be easily found in a small town? If so, you might want to start looking at solutions prior to moving to make the transition easy.

Edited September 27, 2010 by HollyDay

[AMDG]

We don't have trash pick up. You either burn it or take it to the "convenience center." (Dumpsters lined up inside a fenced in area.)

 

Yes, this too. There are many counties that have no garbage disposal services. "Load it up in the truck!"

 

Fortunately our small town has an independent garbage service that takes of this for us!

[AudreyTN]

Yes, this too. There are many counties that have no garbage disposal services. "Load it up in the truck!"

 

Fortunately our small town has an independent garbage service that takes of this for us!

 

Well, if you live inside the city limits you can opt for trash service. We live just outside the line.

[Jackie in NE]

DH is considering a position in a tiny town (population less than 2000) and in weighing the pros and cons I could use some input from homeschoolers who have btdt.

 

Coming up with negatives has been easy because there are specific things we're losing. Having never lived in a small town myself, I don't have any experience to know the upside. I'd love to hear why some of you love living and homeschooling in a small town.

 

I've already been in touch with the leader of their homeschool group. Sounds like they're fairly active, with about 100 participants coming from surrounding counties.

 

This is a small town surrounded by other small towns about an hours drive in all directions, with the first decent-sized city over an hour away. It is a retirement destination, with a perfect (for us) climate and a 'Mayberry' feel to it.

 

I think it is very possible we'd be happy there, we're homebodies and don't really take advantage of most of the 'city-life' where we live now. If the kids had a few good friends and there was a nice park nearby we'd replicate about 80% of our current lifestyle.

 

The main things we're concerned about losing are sports for the kids, restaurants for occassional date nights, Target, and a good health food store. We aren't big shoppers, but do like having a few grocery stores to choose from and a Sams.

 

Can some of you share what you love about living in a small town? I'm sure there are benefits we haven't considered.

 

Thanks so much!

 

I think there are trade-offs wherever you choose to live. And the thing about living in a small town is that you don't really get the "feel" of it until you actually live there. In the small town that we lived in, the neighbors were great. They were so helpful! They did things like give us access to their veterinary supplies because sometimes you just don't have time for the 90 mile round trip, and you ran out of that specific medicine you needed. They offered their time freely when we needed help working cattle, and we didn't know anyone. They brought us cookies when we moved onto the place. It was really nice.

 

On the other hand, my children were shocked, and I was dismayed, when one of our neighbors stopped by to welcome us to the neighborhood, and was three sheets to the wind, and using horrible language in front of the children! (This man has turned out to be a very generous neighbor, he just has a drinking problem). And along those lines, one of the things I didn't think of when we moved to this community, is that there is very little future there for the children. There's no industry to keep them around, or employ them, or even give them hope for a future. Education is not highly valued. Therefore, a lot of the kids turn to alcohol and/or sex for entertainment. It is a real problem.

 

But like I said, some of things you just don't see until you live there. So you just have to be ready to be creative. You have to just make a choice and then make the best of it. No place is perfect. What is important is that your family is strong and happy.

 

Warm Regards, Jackie

[homeschoolally]

You guys have given me some new things to consider!

 

The 'outsider' angle is one that hadn't occurred to me at all. You guys brought up some good points. I'm one of those introverts who really tries to guard my family time so a small part of me is thinking I might not mind. I'd hate for my kids to feel like outsiders though--and the line of business my husband is going into is very relationship-focused so it is definitely something to factor in.

 

That kind of behavior from adults is insane! I'm so sorry you've had to go through that, and thanks for the heads up. I guess I should go meet with the homeschool group, visit some churches, and just spend some time there to feel it out.

 

My husband just brought up the issue with the boredom/rebellion of small town kids today and it also hadn't occurred to me at all. I'm thinking small town=time stands still=clean-cut, wholesome kids. I guess I need to get realistic about these things--thanks so much for your thoughts.

 

I have a question that might be appropriate for a spin-off---is my fantasy that my very young high schooler would be more 'sheltered' at a small-town community college crazy? I'm so eager to do dual-enrollment but we're just not ready to release our young teenager to the 'adult' world of community college. I've been daydreaming about how he could dual-enroll there with less 'risk' because of my "small-town=time stands still" delusion.

 

So much to think about---thanks so much for all your thoughts--positive and negative. It is really helping me think more objectively about this, and I'm sure my husband will appreciate it. I've been turning a deaf ear to many of his concerns.

[AMDG]

I have a question that might be appropriate for a spin-off---is my fantasy that my very young high schooler would be more 'sheltered' at a small-town community college crazy? I'm so eager to do dual-enrollment but we're just not ready to release our young teenager to the 'adult' world of community college. I've been daydreaming about how he could dual-enroll there with less 'risk' because of my "small-town=time stands still" delusion.

QUOTE]

 

For someone who graduated in a class of less than 100 people, I can honestly say YES! A few specific examples were that I felt very little weight pressure. My friends were generally of normal weight and we didn't fret about being stick thin. Our cousins from the cities and such had gym memberships and were always talking about fitting into certain sizes. This was something that my friends and I cared little about

 

Another thing was that the whole social class system isn't quite as extreme. Certainly I went to school with kids who everyone knew were poor, but on the flip side, no one was filthy rich. I had friends who went on vacations every year, but no one was getting lavish gifts or Sweet 16 parties.

 

And as far as things to do in a small town, as high school kids we just enjoyed each others company. Some of my fondest memories are great co-ed conversations, intellectual dialogue, and laughing out of ridiculousness. I wouldn't have known that other 17 year olds were having more fun than I was.