Raising Children in Southern California (2015, apartments, transfer)

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by bluewatergirl888

What I meant to ask was do children become exposed to adult subject matters such as sex and drug/ alcohol abuse at an earlier age. Do they see things that in years past were only acknowledged by adults.

Go back in your family tree and see how many folks on there were married and had kids at 16 or 17. We got this weird notion of fantasy childhood during the 1950s. It wasn't like that before that. During Victorian times for instance kids were expected to be small adults. Actually from what I've been reading, statistics show that kids are doing less "adult things" now than they did even 10 years ago or when we were kids.

[NYSD1995]

I don't think it's about exposure to sex or drugs. That is everywhere and CA is certainly no different in that regard.

To me this is about our cultural acceptance of negative lifestyles. In that way, California is far ahead. We don't stand up and say "this is not acceptable in our culture". We not only accept it, but institutionalize it. We have such a large adult population which embraces gangsterism / thuggery / hyper-sexualism / quasi-celebrity / hyper-materialism and we accept that as part of our culture... as a result the kids have no choice but to be influenced by it.

[bluewatergirl888]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

To me this is about our cultural acceptance of negative lifestyles. In that way, California is far ahead. We don't stand up and say "this is not acceptable in our culture". We not only accept it, but institutionalize it. We have such a large adult population which embraces gangsterism / thuggery / hyper-sexualism / quasi-celebrity / hyper-materialism and we accept that as part of our culture... as a result the kids have no choice but to be influenced by it.

Well said.

[hsw]

Need to factor in the often low education levels of parents even in affluent parts of LA's Westside (let alone rest of LA/OC region): entertainment industry and entrepreneurs who tend to be in less well-educated and/or less intellectually competitive industries like real estate, mundane consumer goods, retail, etc

NYC region has a far larger well-educated population than LA, esp in Manhattan and affluent CT/Westchester suburbs b/c of its large, powerful finance industry (LA's finance industry is relatively puny vs NYC's or even vs SV/SF's)....but academically strongest public (or pvt) schools in suburban NJ/LI today are no better than best public schools in LA region, like Irvine or PV Peninsula or La Canada Flintridge..or comparable pvt schools

And can't generalize CA as Silicon Valley arguably has higher education levels (and more high-powered private and public HS) than anywhere on planet b/c of the many engineers and financiers who live/work in Palo Alto area

[bluewatergirl888]

Originally Posted by hsw

Need to factor in the often low education levels of parents even in affluent parts of LA's Westside (let alone rest of LA/OC region): entertainment industry and entrepreneurs who tend to be in less well-educated and/or less intellectually competitive industries like real estate, mundane consumer goods, retail, etc

Interesting point.

Originally Posted by hsw

And can't generalize CA as Silicon Valley arguably has higher education levels (and more high-powered private and public HS) than anywhere on planet b/c of the many engineers and financiers who live/work in Palo Alto area

I was wondering about Southern California specifically.

[LateNight]

Well, I've been to Southern California only once - San Diego, Los Angeles, and everything in between, and I'll be moving out there in about March. I also have a baby daughter there, so I've considered such things.

But I've had the impression that aside from mild regional differences, and individual mentalities, people are pretty similar where ever you go. Because due to access to travel, internet, television and instant media etc. America is a much smaller place than it once was. And I don't think it's too simplistic to say influence begins in the home.

[batransplant]

I grew up in both the San Fernando Valley, and LA westside. I went to private school and my friends mainly had professional parents, business owners etc There were some industry parents who were studio executives and their kids were probably more attracted to being in entertainment.

Noone in my family was/is in entertainment with the exception of a couple people. Everyone ln my immediate circle is are doctors, lawyers, real estate developers, corp business executives, teachers, non-profit workers, entrepreneur/inventors, speech therapist, computers, engineers, PR, caterer etc. I felt like my upbringing was just a basic suburban existence with emphasis on following rules, getting good grades, and going to college. I spent my preteen and teen years hanging out at the mall, going to the beach, being involved in school activities like cheerleading and drama, hanging out with friends,going to occasional parties, the usual. I did not have a serious BF until the summer before college. I do not recall any gangs anywhere other than knowing they lived in ghettos where we never visited, but there was a mystique and mythology about these gangs that affluent suburban white kids had an odd fascination with, but never crossed the line to actually meet these people or emulate them. At least nobody I knew. My friends all ended up in UC schools or private schools in California or the east coast.

I do remember when traveling with my family, people from other places would think it was cool that we were from LA. I think we were also culturally ahead of other parts of the country, but LA is a trend setting area. It always has been.

[bluewatergirl888]

Thanks for all of your input guys. So interesting to read. My summation is that, most of how Southern California is portrayed on T.V. is a bad stereotype. This is pretty much what I thought from the beginning, but I wanted to get a first hand account from people who live/ lived in that region.

It does seem, however, that the high cost of living has a negative impact on the family (as it would in any other part of the country). Perhaps the traffic is also an issue - in terms of how much time one spends away from their family.

I am wondering why most of the public schools do not receive high marks, while the state universities are considered in the top of their class? I am assuming this has something to do with prop. 13? Do you think this situation will be resolved?

Thanks again!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by bluewatergirl888

I am wondering why most of the public schools do not receive high marks, while the state universities are considered in the top of their class?

There are a lot of ESL kids in Southern California. That has to make it difficult for them -lowers standardized test scores.

Some state schools are very good, most are average. The (sort of) unique thing about California universities is (was) their affordability. There was a three tier design: community colleges, the CSU system and the UC system. For example, in 1979 I attended Cal State Northridge for $500/semester including books and everything (living at home though). That was cheap.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by Charles

For example, in 1979 I attended Cal State Northridge for $500/semester including books and everything (living at home though). That was cheap.

The University of California at that time was only $200-$300 a quarter then too (you'd normally go three quarters).