Where do you think the most idyllic place to raise children is?

[Idyllically]

Can be anywhere in the world!

Was just discussing this with a friend today! I don’t think I’m well-travelled enough to say. But I always imagined somewhere with mild / warm weather with a big outdoor culture!

Where do you think?

A friend of my brother grew up in Jersey, which he said was wonderful. The only problem is that they have some law that if you are off the island for a certain number of years (not sure how long), you can never move back.

@CruCru

A friend of my brother grew up in Jersey, which he said was wonderful. The only problem is that they have some law that if you are off the island for a certain number of years (not sure how long), you can never move back.

Oh crikey!! Yes I bet that outdoorsy island life can be a lovely place to be a child!

Of course there isn’t any single place that’s best. You’ll come across people who attest to idyllic and miserable childhoods anywhere, because there are so many factors beyond the geographic that influence childhood experiences.

Once basic needs are met ( safely, food, education, healthcare, community and cultural belonging) I think an idyllic, or at least happy childhood can be had almost anywhere. FWIW, I had a pretty idyllic childhood in suburban Norwich, my best friend describes a happy childhood in rural Zambia. What we had in common were stable, loving families, a range of interests and a strong sense of rootedness in our communities.

We spent a year in a tiny village in the south of France when I was younger and it was the PERFECT place to be a little kid. :-)

As someone who now prefers city living, I’ve always wondered about Copenhagen.

Herefordshire. All of the benefits of living in a very beautiful place but without the downsides of heavy traffic during the season, lack of school places/residential services, etc.

@MrsSkylerWhite

Herefordshire. All of the benefits of living in a very beautiful place but without the downsides of heavy traffic during the season, lack of school places/residential services, etc.

Beautiful but it dies t suit everyone Last time I spoke with my 17 year old goddaughter who lives near Ledbury she confided she ‘couldn’t wait to get out of this dump’ and hated her parents for moving from Bromley when she was nine. Similarly, my mum made a choice not to raise us in beautifulNorth Norfolk, but to move to the city as she, as a child, struggled with the lack of…everything.

There isn't one. I'm an extreme extrovert and I like to think of myself as a little edgy, so the busy cities we lived in were awesome.

My brother is an anxious introvert who hates the hot weather so it was hell. He'd have been better off in some tiny Scottish village or Canadian hamlet.

I’m gonna say New Zealand, or perhaps Bermuda.

I can only go from personal experience but it'd have to be anywhere with lots of other children around, low crime rates, not over crowded, lots of outdoor space eg woods/ rivers/ beach, family support close by, good schools and good indoor leisure activities.

Could be anywhere, Asia, America, Australia, UK, but with those combinations it'd be pretty idyllic.

LabraDabraDo

Beautiful but it dies t suit everyone Last time I spoke with my 17 year old goddaughter who lives near Ledbury she confided she ‘couldn’t wait to get out of this dump’ and hated her parents for moving from Bromley when she was nine. Similarly, my mum made a choice not to raise us in beautifulNorth Norfolk, but to move to the city as she, as a child, struggled with the lack of…everything.“

Knowing Bromley pretty well, I’d choose Ledbury any day of the week

But I’m 59 next week and take your point.
The thread is about raising children, though. Herefordshire is lovely for kids. By the time they’re 17, in our experience, most young people want to get out of where they live, however idyllic most people feel it is.

I was working in Bermuda when I had DD, and her first six years were spent there. Obviously she was in full time day care/school but it was pretty idyllic - lots of playing outside and pool parties.

I dont think there is one,.my kids.would not be happy in the countryside or a quiet island.no matter how beautiful it was. DS2 would need access to a 50m pool to do his swim training and DS1 would need a thriving grassroots football league and access to watch major league football matches. So their ideal place would be a major city. Which wouldn't be my ideal place to raise kids due to the various dangers a big city brings.

London

Years ago I was talking to two friends about their childhoods- one had grown up in a beautiful house with fantastic views in the Lake District- the other on a rough housing estate in Middlesbrough. The friend from the Lake District said her childhood had been dull, where as the friend from Middlesbrough thought his childhood had been ace.

I have family who live two miles from the beach in a very lively part of the world and admit they don't go to the beach that often (I was imagining they would be on the beach with you every day after school!)

I don't think there is a perfect place. I think children who spend term time in an inner city with lots of culture and holidays at their second home at the beach have the perfect life.

My hometown could be considered to tick many boxes when it comes ti raising children, small town, low crime lots of green spaces, good schools, easy to travel into London for culture. By the time I was fifteen I couldn't wait to get out of there!

A safe, green suburb of a large town or small city. All these places mentioned sound incredible, and I’d fecking love to be on a beach or up a mountain…but really all 2 year old DS wants is a toddler group and a set of swings!

We live in a village in Normandy; 45 mins to the coast, 10 mins to city, 60 mins to Paris. It’s got woods, the river Seine & a free ferry crossing service, farm animals (including a llama who is a residents’ favourite!) that keep the village greenery in check- part of an ‘eco village’ programme, play park, allotments, communal fruit trees along a cycle path that runs the length of the village. I feel like we are permanently on holiday here & it’s the perfect setting for kids & a relaxed family life. The cherry blossom trees are out now all over the village and in the spring sunshine and it’s heavenly x

If I had a sparw half a million euros I'd love to raise the DC on the shores of lake Como, near enough to go to the alps every weekend but you could still commute to Milan for work/uni.

Although, when my dad's parents moved there for a few years when he was a teenager he hated it and couldn't wait to get back to his tiny mountain village.

For me, somewhere rural preferably next to a beach. There’s something good about having cities as a tantalising carrot to explore once they get older, rather than feeling like they’ve been everywhere & done everything by the time they’re 16. In terms of countries; maybe Iceland? Beautiful, safe, clean, healthy. Excellent education and opportunities. Weather is a bit crap though.

A work colleague describes a happy childhood on a notoriously rough housing estate. At the end of the road was the reccy (a playground and football ground). He spent all his time playing football, and there were always lots on kids on the reccy. Apparently there was never a dull moment. He was one of five, and his aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents were close by.

I think if you are brought up in a home where you don't go hungry, a secure loving family unit, and part of a community, nearly anywhere can be happy.

We moved last year to an upscale suburb in western New York, and I’ve been amazed at the quality of life for children. We live in a village, which is walking distance to two playgrounds, the library, cafes and restaurants and the Erie Canal, with a path that runs alongside it and is ideal for cycling or walking. We spent the winter sledging, ice skating at outdoor rinks, and the whole family learned to ski.

Last summer, we spent evenings riding bikes to the local ice cream shops or attending one of the free concerts on the canal. We’re in the Finger Lakes region, and also near Lake Ontario, so most weekends in the summer we pack a cooler full of food and have a barbecue or picnic near a lake, then spend the day swimming and playing in the sand. We also hiked to (and through) waterfalls and rivers.

I know a lot of people would never think of America as an idyllic place to raise children, for obvious reasons, but I’m very grateful that this is the life my children are able to experience right now.

Kent is pretty cool. Loads for children to do for free plus you can get into London quickly or travel to France for the day
Lots of open spaces and beaches
Down side is its fucking expensive to rent or buy a house/flat

I would never have picked our area of south London as being a particularly good place to raise children. House prices too high and a general lack of space and being able to walk out your door into beautiful countryside. But the kids round here generally seem happy, healthy and confident and have access to so many communal play areas and activities. There is a rich communal life amongst the children around here that I lacked growing up in rural areas where we were ferried about by car the whole time.

If I'm honest, I think the most idyllic place to raise children is anywhere that you are relatively well off.

We spent two years on Cyprus. It was fantastic. Great work life balance. Great primary school. Swimming pool in garden. Eating out was cheap

However it was very claustrophobic for the older children.

@LabraDabraDoo

Of course there isn’t any single place that’s best. You’ll come across people who attest to idyllic and miserable childhoods anywhere, because there are so many factors beyond the geographic that influence childhood experiences.

Once basic needs are met ( safely, food, education, healthcare, community and cultural belonging) I think an idyllic, or at least happy childhood can be had almost anywhere. FWIW, I had a pretty idyllic childhood in suburban Norwich, my best friend describes a happy childhood in rural Zambia. What we had in common were stable, loving families, a range of interests and a strong sense of rootedness in our communities.

Agree with this @LabraDabraDoo

I grew up in the residential suburbs of a major city and had a fantastic childhood