Tag Archives: neighborhood

Lighted Luminaries for Christmas

Today while driving back from a long, hard day of shopping, we passed through a neighborhood and then had to double back. Each year, the entire neighborhood, which includes many cross-streets get together to put on a show that symbolizes the light of Christ through white paper bag luminaries. This neighborhood puts up the luminaries every year, and they span very far. I confess that we turned off our headlights and drove very slowly by. We had the feeling that we were traveling down a lighted Christmas runway, as the lights went off into the distance. The Christmas decorating around … Continue reading →

Are You Taking Advantage of Your Neighborhood?

I was born and raised in New York City. Despite that fact, I didn’t visit the Empire State Building until I was well into adulthood. Some friends from out of town visited and wanted to see it. To this day, I still have not gone to the Statue of Liberty. My point here, is that while New York City may certainly be an extreme in terms of things to do and see, the fact is that living there, I never thought to visit some of the biggest things that attract visitors from all over the world. These places were in … Continue reading →

Why I’m Walking a Different Way

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I ran into one of my neighbors when I was walking Moose and Lally the other night. She’s one of the first people I met when I moved here last May, and we’ve been friendly ever since. She mentioned that she hadn’t seen me as much lately — I used to walk Moose and Lally past her apartment often. Her little dog would come charging out, tail wagging, to say hello. I responded that I was trying to avoid cats. Lally has become quite the kitty hunter, and there are several semi-feral cats that tend to congregate in the landscaping … Continue reading →

Neighborhood and Environment for Single Parent Families

This is not going to be an article about how there are “good” neighborhoods and “bad” ones; nor do I want to promote classism and racism–instead, I wanted to talk about how environment does matter when it comes to having a healthy and supportive place to raise a family as a single parent. That doesn’t have to mean huge expansive lawns and 3-car-garages. Choosing a place to live where we feel safe, supported, and where our children have access to everything they need–all within our budget can be a big challenge for a single parent, but so incredibly important. I … Continue reading →

Going Back to Hades

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In a previous blog, I described the place where our adopted boys were living when the state took them into custody. I think about taking our oldest back to see the area. At the proper time, a visit will help him let go of his experiences there. He and I talk about where he came from occasionally. It does not happen often because he generally avoids the subject. He would usually rather talk about my experiences and friends. We have discussed every scar on my body. We have talked about my parents and siblings. He asks a lot of questions. … Continue reading →

Neighborhood Boundaries

In an ideal world this asset titled: Neighbors take responsibility for monitoring and supervising children outside the home, would happen everywhere. In the reality of the world we live in it is sometimes our neighbors that we need to protect our children from. Single parents may find this asset difficult to enact because typically the parent works 8+ hours a day out of the home and has a host of responsibilities to take care of once he or she arrives home after work. Still children need this asset to grow up healthy, so try to find some creative ways to … Continue reading →

A Caring Neighborhood

Living in a neighborhood with people who are mutually respectful of each other can help to build a child’s sense of community. Unfortunately, for single parent families, frequently the most pressing factor in selecting housing is cost. Since many single parents struggle financially, it is often necessary to select housing in a less than desirable neighborhood. This is an unfortunate circumstance that often cannot be avoided. Whenever selecting a new home, go to that neighborhood at different times during the day and walk around. Talk to neighbors and try to determine from their interaction with other children if the adults … Continue reading →

Is Your Child Safe in Your Neighborhood?

Are you taking the necessary measures to make sure that your children are safe in your neighborhood? Are you monitoring what happens when they go outside to play or to a neighbor’s house? It is important to keep in mind that your neighborhood may not be as safe as you think. Unless you are in a gated neighborhood, strangers can enter at will. You also may not realize what is happening in the dynamic between the children in your neighborhood. This is written not to scare anyone, but rather as the result of recent incidents that have come up with … Continue reading →

Dealing with Difficult Neighbors

We’ve all had at least one neighbor, or at least known someone who has, that was difficult to put it nicely. These people can make life miserable for an entire neighborhood. There are ways to deal with difficult neighbors to keep things from getting out of hand or from feeling like you have no choice but to move. First, try to speak to the neighbor and learn what the problem is if possible. You or a member of your family or even a guest to your home may have inadvertently offended the neighbor. He or she should explain the problem, … Continue reading →

Becoming a Good Neighbor

If you’re new to a neighborhood, you may feel a bit self-conscious about approaching your new neighbors. It is however a good idea, so that you and your neighbors can at least become casually acquainted sooner than later, because too often it isn’t until a crisis or problem occurs that some neighbors get in contact with each other. This is not a great way to meet each other. Instead of waiting until a meeting is forced by outside influences, break the ice. If you are not comfortable knocking on someone else’s door, you can simply approach when you see a … Continue reading →