Teenagers in Brighton/Hove - your experiences?

[needsleeep]

Hi all, we're contemplating a move to Brighton/Hove from a slightly more rural area. Very excited by all that would be on offer on our doorstep but slightly concerned that I'd be bringing the dcs (currently only 5 and 7) up somewhere more dangerous. This fear is being fuelled by people locally who think we'd be mad to move and mention drugs etc. What are your experiences? What do/did your teens do in Brighton? How did you keep them safe? Did you have concerns about drugs/seediness etc?
Thanks so much

Hi, I'm sure you'll all love living here & in my experience, growing up in a rural area with little for teens to do, there tends to be far greater drugs problems in those areas, it just tends to be not so out in the open as it in in cities, so I doubt moving here will affect them in such a negative way, what it will do so open up a whole world of stuff to do & so long as you teach them well & keep an open dialogue with them, I'm sure they'll be fine & love living here

I'm not yet a mum of a teen, but lots of our friends are & I only know one who has got into drugs etc, sadly she hasn't had the best upbringing & here DM is in complete denial & thinks treating her as an adult & letting her behave as such is the right thing to do, allowing her to smoke at home etc even at barely 13, so sadly, in mine & DH opinion it's not the city that's letting her down, but her DM. Everyone else teens are lovely well balanced kids, who do all sorts of very interesting things with their spare time, that don't involve drugs & drinking too much - if anything having it so in your face as it is in a city, teaches our kids a valuable lesson, they see the worst of the negative effects & if we take that as a teaching opportunity, it can actually be a positive thing - drugs soon loose there glamour for teens, when you see the far less savoury effects that sadly you see in the homeless drug casualties in most cities - I can see that in my 10 yr old & all our friends teens & young adults

Amongst many other things, there's a great youth club - BYC on Edward St, lots going on there, ran by a pretty cool bunch of people, my DD goes there & loves it & a lot of our friends older kids have done too, but there is just so much more choice than that, so don't worry

PS, if anything, your current neighbours sound a bit nerve at best, jealous at worst

Thanks notso... That's all good to know. Do you get the impression that lots of people flee Brighton for the country when they or dcs get older? Also, worried by various comments from people who live there that they never use the beach in Brighton. For us, a big draw is the sea so I wouldn't like to think that we'd actually never go down there cos it's too busy/dirty etc

No, not at all, at least not with any of our friends - some moved back into town from Worthing when their DCs hit their teens & I'm quite glad we live in town, as when DD hits that age she just has so much to do, right on the doorstep.

As far as locals mostly keeping away from the tourists spots in the summer, especially on sunny weekends when the whole of London descends on the pier & sea front - yes, that is true, but we have a lot more lovely spots the tourists don't know about - We tend to head over to Rottingdean Beach, just past the Marina, which is actually a far safer spot for kids to swim anyway, it also avoids all the typical sea side tack & need to spend a fortune - others head Hove way - we have some great parks & Devils Dyke is great for picnics too - but thats not for the whole summer, just when its too busy - weekday picnics after school on the main beach are lovely & part of what I love about living here :)

I think we all worry about when our DC's becoming teens and all the temptations that come with it and I don't think it really makes a huge amount of difference where you live.

It's been fabulous living in town with a teen. There is so much for them to do. Ours isn't the type to hang on street corners anyway but living here he has been so busy especially as he is very musical. The other great thing is there are still jobs here for teens if they want a Saturday or summer job.

As notso said people tend to avoid the touristy bits on high days and holidays but there is so much more to Brighton it really doesn't matter.

I don't know anyone that has moved from Brighton because they have teens.

awww - you and your teens will love it in Brighton!! My dd is only 8 but I have friends here with teens who have moved from more rural places and they say that there are drugs everywhere in the UK but that the plus of being in a town is there is less chance of your kids being bored and therefore taking drugs and also less chance of them drinking and driving - something rural parents have to worry about. As to the sea - we moved here 13 years ago and I still get a thrill out of seeing the sea, and whilst we tend to avoid the busy areas at the weekend, there are always quiet spots and it's always a good way of knowing where South is! I never get lost now...!