Tag Archives: Southgate

There’s been a fair amount of chat lately about neighborhood play, that is, unplanned, unstructured, just kids having fun without parental involvement kind of play. Much of this talk has bemoaned it’s disappearance.

Well, it hasn’t disappeared in my neighborhood. We’ve got a pack of boys in third, fourth, and fifth grades that are embracing neighborhood play with a vengeance (much to the dismay of the childless couple on the block, who used to quietly sip wine on their front porch, but have been driven away by the racket of skateboards slamming down makeshift ramps and the flying soccer balls that regularly land in their front yard). This means homework is regularly interrupted by a ringing doorbell and a group of little boy faces pressed against the glass (I rarely have the heart to keep my guy inside when his friends are outside, which means I’m nagging about piano practice and homework long into the night instead of having it all wrapped up before dinner.) It also means that I feel no remorse when I boot my kids outside because they’re driving me nuts. Continue reading →