Is this a true assessment of rural life or am I being a bit of a dick?!

[Rurrrala]

I live in a lovely village. I grew up in a rural location so this what I am used to. But… I spent ten years on the outskirts of a city and I miss it.

Everyone keeps saying rural life is better for kids and I do think that might be true. But I find it a bit backward! In terms of mindsets. Even those who are apparently more educated as quite narrow minded (in my experience). It’s shocked me a bit moving so far out of a city, I never thought that there was so much difference.

I am being told by everyone (ie family!) that I will regret a move to a busier place and that it’s unfair on dc who now have an idyllic life that is quiet and calm. It’s making me second guess myself. I know nowhere is perfect but I feel like life is so quiet and a bit empty here.

Dick

What do you mean by backwardsand narrow minded here?

Rural living is different and can be very conservative (and Conservative!).

I am not sure if this is a rural vs city issue or just a "where you live" issue but it sounds like you're not happy with the place you're living and you are not finding yourself compatible with local people. And you're a little bored. So in that case, it may be that you have to move. If your DC are happy adnd settled however, it may be that youneed some other solution.

There are narrow minded people everywhere but it's perhaps harder to avoid them in smaller communities.

To be honest a think that is a bit of a sweeping statement about rural communities- backward and narrow minded.
What have you done to meet like minded people.
I am on the outskirts of a city now but would prefer to move back to a more rural setting. However I would keep my business to myself as I have experienced the "everyone wants to know your business" thing in smaller towns. Mind you can have nosey neighbours anywhere!

@LoveIsLikeAFartIfYouHaveToPushItsUsuallyShit i guess quite right wing thinking, that sort of thing! It’s an older population too which I suppose has something to do with it?!

Sorry @Rurrrala but you come across as a complete snob

I don't necessarily believe it's better - cities can be great for kids too. I think whether you live in a 'nice' area is more relevant tbh. Very rural areas are tricky for teens!

Backwards - hm can be. Not everyone though and we have some lovely neighbours. Can be a bit insular, not always though.

I don’t think you’re wrong to feel that way and I don’t think that rural living is intrinsically better than city life for children. Both have pros and cons. The country wouldn’t be for me and I do personally find that people are slightly backwards, that’s not to say everyone is racist etc but there’s a certain degree of othering that I think comes from a more insular way of life and it’s not what I would choose.

That said it’s not city or the country. There’s lots of compromises to be made

Depends what you class as “rural” .. I’m on the edge of the Moors, but in a very mixed area, within 15 miles of the City

"Right wing thinking".......🤔Well, indeed, how dare they have views you don't agree with!!

I think rural living can be less diverse than city living - just due to the fact there's normally far less people!

There's some lovey city areas for kids. I do disagree with rural areas being "backwards" etc - that's totally not my experience or the experience of anyone I know.

I find rural areas have a better sense of community + neighbours are nicer, you have the "village" experience which I didn't ever see in city life. I prefer it!

It’s not about being a snob - rural communities are more conservative. Look at a voting map! (Although not 2024 as that’s not representative as everyone hated the tories this time!)

Nowhere's perfect. In the country they'll be surrounded by boredom and right-wing people, in the city they'll be surrounded by drugs and knife crime. There's no inbetween.

I live in a major city and there are plenty of narrow-minded gobshites around here too. I don’t think it’s a rural thing. You perhaps mean more conservative, which is hardly a surprise.

I think rural living is great for kids until they become teenagers. Then I suspect it’s pretty dull, unless you happen to have good transport links to towns and cities where stuff is going on. Peak District is good in that respect - some decent sized towns and close to Manchester and Sheffield.

I definitely don’t think living in the middle of nowhere is ‘better’ for kids.
it largely requires a car for absolutely everything which is crap for the environment, means less exercise, less sense of connection to the community, and kind of defeats the object of living in countryside as if you have to drive everywhere then you may as well be somewhere better connected and drive to a nice field when you fancy a walk!?
I don’t think youre a dick for finding the mentality of rural locations much different to more cosmopolitan places; that was certainly my experience growing up in a village. Experienced racism and much more ignorance and bigoted politics than I do now in a city.
There is also so much more to do in a city which is great with kids. It’s all well and good going for a walk or to the beach with children but if that’s all there is to do, I dunno, I think the novelty would wear off, esp in crap weather.
I personally love being walking distance from multiple parks playgrounds cinemas soft plays pools splash pads galleries etc Wouldn’t swap that for more fields.

God people are defensive 😂

I live in a town - there is an in between 😄

If you don't like it, leave, but there's no need to be rude about it. There are negatives and positives to any place, but tarring everyone in an area with the same brush simply based on where they live sounds very... narrowminded.

This thread is just going to get filled up with generalisations that support wherever the person lives and their narrow experience.

I'm out 😝

Hardly

Drugs aren’t just for the city. Teens need to turn to drink and drugs in the country as there’s nothing else to do. They’ll also get caught up up in county lines 😉

Oooh ahhh shh err…. Yer Mum, us be pretty baccards ‘ere in t’ country. Tus all them fields, and cows and mud and what not , I h’aint seen a git stabbing’ this twelvemonth, not sight nor sound of them gurt radio box things int dark.

Niver ye fret, ye can tell us how to git a bit more upurds like at Parish Meetin’ , and us ‘ll try to get alongside of those City ways.

OP I think we could really do with some examples here of what you mean by right wing and what sort of situations have revealed these attitudes?