There are many children who grow up in big cities and that for their parents it is the best option without a doubt, but for others perhaps who live in the cities, they long to live in the tranquility of the towns or the countryside. But like everything, living in a city has advantages, but there can also be drawbacks. It will depend on the lifestyle you have and the education you want to transmit to your children whether you stay in a city to raise your little ones or not.
Popular wisdom tells us that to raise happy children you need a big house, a lawn, a yard, a game room, and much more… A quiet neighborhood, a good car, and time to travel. In other words, you need a quality of life that big cities can hardly provide, among other things because living in cities is much more expensive than in towns.
But the reality is that for children to be happy they do not need so many material things, what they need is that their parents and relatives be by their side, love them and spend quality time with them. Many families choose to raise their children in urban centers, in crowded city areas. People who grew up in cities move to the towns to raise their children because they realize there is less crime, there are better schools and a life with more quality, but in the cities everything is not so bad because this also begins to change in the cities.
Little by little, cities are also becoming safe places, with good schools, parks and green areas where you can enjoy with your children and a large number of options that towns do not have and cannot offer.
Advantages of raising children in a city
Lots of culture within reach
If you live in a big city, it is likely that you have at your fingertips in a much easier way good access to cultural services, you can go to the theater, go to museums, movie theaters, know the history of the city ... cultural activities in cities are low-cost or totally free. When children are young this is not appreciated, but as they get older it is important to have all the options of the cultural city within reach. It only takes a short bus ride to get anywhere.
It takes less time to get anywhere
When you live far from the city and you have to go to the hospital or any service that is not in the town, it will take a long time to arrive, especially if you do not have your own vehicle and the transport combinations are not very good (which are always worse the more far away from the city). But If you live in the city, all this will be forgotten because you can be close to any place with a bus ride or 10 minutes by taxi.
In addition, when children are older and over 12 years old, as public transport combinations in cities are usually quite effective, they can allow your children to travel independently.
They will have a more open mind to the world
Living in a village makes children have a more closed vision of life, because they do not see or live enough experiences. People in cities live and work in them, children get to know people with many experiences in their lives, and it can increase their compassion and tolerance for others. Children growing up in cities are exposed to many different people and from different places, something that will undoubtedly make them grow internally.
Life lessons
It is terrible to have to explain to a child why there are homeless people sleeping on the streets, but there are also opportunities for learning and growth, as well as many opportunities to volunteer and offer real help to people who do not know each other. You can volunteer at food banks or shelters.
There are people who live in small towns or in the countryside, where they grow up knowing the life of the people around them, without looking beyond. There are even people who grow up without knowing that there are poor people or children in need. In cities you can see many types of people and this makes children have a greater understanding about the world and the place they occupy or want to occupy in it.
More family time
You still think that by living in a town you have more time to live as a family as there is a better quality of life. But the reality is that if you work outside the town it will take longer to go to work and return home, so you have less real time to spend with your family and enjoy your children.
In contrast, families who live and work in the city spend less time on the road to and from work. This means that they will have more time to play, to do homework with their children, or to spend with the children. IThey can even have services so close to home that they don't have to spend too much time going one place or another.
Disadvantages of living in the city
Although as in everything, there may also be disadvantages of living in a city and it is a good idea to point them out so that you can decide if living in a city is the best option or not for raising your children.
- More pollution in the environment
- It is more expensive to live and more money will be needed at the end of the month
- There are more dangers around, such as crime or accidents
- The houses are smaller because they have to accommodate more people
- Taxes are more expensive
- Too many people around also increase the chances that they have misunderstandings with other people
- Children have less freedom when they are young to spend time playing with their friends in the street