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Children's Life Stages Crucial When Considering Where To Buy A Home

The article below is reprinted from my RealtyTimes newsletter. I think it is interesting to consider all of the different factors that go into finding the right house. We spend a lot of time in our homes. We must make sure that they are places that will make us happy. Much thought must be put into the decision of our homes location and features. Enjoy the article...and click above to check out my entire May 2006 newsletter.

The developmental stages that children go through are important to consider when parents buy a home.

"Children in elementary or junior high tend to prefer a suburban environment because it affords them greater freedom to go outdoors to play, and their friends are usually within walking distance," suggests Dr. David "DAK" Kopec. "They tend to view their environment in terms of exploration and immediate gratification."

Suburban and rural environments are often preferred because they can be less structured and regimented, he says. "Here young people often have the choice of remaining indoors or going outside. This ability to go outside at will affords unique opportunities to develop gross motor skills and imagination. For example, a preadolescent might use a swimming pool as a place to pretend to be a mermaid or a dolphin. Another child might climb a tree, pretending to be an undercover cop conducting surveillance work. They might enjoy having a lawn to perform acrobatic moves in imitating their favorite action hero. Thus, spaces that allow for unstructured play such as a back yard is important for this age group."

Dr. Kopec explains that while younger children can find hours of entertainment exploring nature, adolescence marks a period of development where young people seek entertainment from man-made environments. For those in junior high and older teens who ones lack transportation, the ideal location is near malls, movie theaters and community centers where they can hang out with their peers. For parents of these teens, the suburban environment with its family-oriented population is often perceived to be a safer place. However some teens report growing up in rural areas and some suburban environment as being boring and lacking sufficient stimulation, he says.

"As children grow into young adults in their 20s, preferences often evolve to a more urban setting because of the increased availability of social, educational and career opportunities," says Dr. Kopec. "For this population, a variety of restaurants, clubs and sports facilities -- social opportunities to find a potential life partner are the environmental attributes of greatest importance. However, as these young adults find partners and begin to form families of their own, location preferences often turn to a more suburban or rural environment. This is because parents with young children often prefer to be around other families who can provide playmates for their children as well as collaboration on methods for child-rearing. Likewise, many of the important considerations for location for this population are access to childcare, quality schools and proximity to grocery stores."

By the time people become seniors, they tend to prefer a more urban environment because it can help support freedom and autonomy, Dr. Kopec suggests. Urban environments tend to have better public transportation so that the individual can get around, numerous parks and community centers where older people can meet to enjoy each other's company, and quality medical services near by. Since older age is unfortunately sometimes accompanied by a decline in one or more of the five senses and/or movement, an urban environment can support one's independence and allow for them to remain active for a longer period of time.

"Some of the variables within one's developmental stage that affects one's location preference include age, marital status, pet ownership, proximity to water, or ability to garden," says Dr. Kopec.

Written by Blanche Evans