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Old 05-07-2007, 03:40 PM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
162 posts, read 676,221 times
Reputation: 96

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I am repeatedly asked by folks with kids looking to move here what there is for the kids to do. My child is in college now so it doesn't matter to me personally but I'm wondering what some of you who have been here longer tell folks or what other people's kids do. I'm not looking to stir up controversy comparing parenting skills.

We raised our child in a bedroom type community in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. He was very active in three sports, church, did community service activities, was a peer tutor, and when he wasn't involved in those activities he "hung out" at the YMCA for drop in hockey, basketball, etc. He spent time with each of us doing his other hobbies. His friends regularly came and "hung out" at our house where they played games inside and out. And YES we had to drive him to all of these places because there were no sidewalks and it was probably 12 miles to the YMCA. In the summers we commuted every weekend to the Jersey shore. We didn't have a neighborhood REC center. We didn't have a mall to "hang out". We had one bowling alley, one movie theatre - heck, Spring Hill is much more built up than where we raised him. Fortunately he wasn't out doing drugs and robbing houses. We were involved, he was involved. We put the focus on family, school, and community.

I was raised the same way. If I would have told my parents there was "nothing to do" they would have found me some chore to do. And I wasn't allowed to go to the mall unless it was with a task at hand - my parents would never have allowed me to simply "hang out". We had to have an agenda and attendance list to give them every time we stepped out of the house.

So I am very curious when I hear people say that there is nothing for kids to do here. What is it that people think kids should be doing that we don't have here? Again, not putting anyone down just really curious what folks think is missing here for the kids.
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Old 05-07-2007, 04:03 PM
 
Location: Spring Hill, Florida
20 posts, read 157,064 times
Reputation: 23
Default Well Said

Very well said. I just bought a house in the sub-division of Sterling Hill and have two small boys (twins). I am sure that we can find plenty for the kids in the future and Tampa has much to offer and really is not that far when i comes to family outings.
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Old 05-11-2007, 10:11 AM
 
1,080 posts, read 4,578,931 times
Reputation: 613
Default Kids in Spring Hill

Ask anyone who has lived here a long time and you will hear, mom there's nothing to do......you have to drive your kids everywhere, to the Y, movies
softball,basketball,soccer all sports. Kids back in the 80's found empty lots
and had beer parties, hung out at the 7 eleven. There was a place called the circle......kids congegated there most weekends. Fast forward 2007
the new hangout is Dunkin Donuts on Mariner Blvd. or Taco Bell on Mariner
these are all good kids, good grades, going off to college in a few months
but once the sports season ends and there no more practices/games, they want something to do, they hang out at friends homes, playing videos
or meeting up to hang out for awhile.

Many years ago, 88/89 a local guy opened a store across from Pizza Hut
in the same plaza, he had pool tables, non acholic drinks, reasonable hours
so that the kids could have a place of their own, he set rules, and if you
didn't abide by them you had to leave. Well, after a few months the older
crowd muscled in, 20 somethings and before long, the senior citizens going to the movies started to complain about the rowdy kids, hanging in the parking lots. The landlord who was a local doctor asked the guy to shut down and leave. There was a nightclub at Forest Oaks, Bubba's, young 20's somethings found a place to go, it was loud, and noisey, but Bubba tried to fix it so the seniors that lived nearby wouldn't hear the noise. Again, the seniors marched to the commissioners about Bubba and the noise and before you knew it, he was gone.

I'm sick and tired of seniors knocking our teens, yes, there are a few (well maybe more) bad apples, but what about the kids that do good, have good morals and go out of their way to respect the environment around them.

Running to Tampa to entertain your children after awhile can get expensive
we need more things for all ages of children right here in our own backyard.
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Old 05-11-2007, 12:53 PM
 
713 posts, read 2,665,115 times
Reputation: 154
Default Songbird...

we must invest in our youth. They are the future. And as for SH not having things for kids to do, I got news for all: in affluent Boca Raton, what do you think kids do? Hang out in parking lots outside bookstores, donut shops etc. It just seems the "cool" thing to do.

One clever gang has a Mon. night meeting...in a parking lot, of course. They all bring their cars and wheels and hang with their friends and dates. The cops patrol and everything is good. SH has the old car shows in several places. Those lots might be a start. Get kids to show off their cars after hours and work on and for them by day. Have the cops patrol.

Get active in your local civic center and county meetings. If enough adults...and kids show and express their feelings, you will get youth centers built. Also, kids will get an education in how local politics work.
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Old 05-11-2007, 02:26 PM
 
137 posts, read 544,688 times
Reputation: 70
Songbird,
What is it that you are driving them to Tampa to do? I guess I want to know what would the teens like for Spring Hill to have that it doesnt to keep them occupied? I always thought a Nathan's with an arcade in the back would do well like we have in NY. With the couple of Starbucks coming, that is going to probably become a new hang out. Do any of the local bars/clubs have a teen night, where they can go out and dance? It's funny, the Knights of Columbus gear so much toward the seniors' they should consider have events for the youth as well.
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Old 05-11-2007, 03:08 PM
 
1,080 posts, read 4,578,931 times
Reputation: 613
Quote:
Originally Posted by grngost1 View Post
Very well said. I just bought a house in the sub-division of Sterling Hill and have two small boys (twins). I am sure that we can find plenty for the kids in the future and Tampa has much to offer and really is not that far when i comes to family outings.
grngost1 said she was looking at Tampa to take the kids, not I. None of the bars have teen nights, the local place in the WinnDixie Plaza, Saints and Sinners is a den of horrors, fights, stabbings, muggings Your absolutely
right about the Knights of Columbus........everything is for the seniors, as bad as Spring Hill is, Brooksville is worse.........kids that are bored get into trouble
vandalism, robbery, mailbox's destroyed, yards riped out with there cars.
The Y is a great place, but, expensive........it cost money to put them into their sports programs, summer camps. The kids won't go to Starbucks too
expensive and I'm sure that the managers won't want kids sitting there all night. As far as teens go, Spring Hill is a wasteland of nothing. Ask any
17/18 year old.
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Old 05-11-2007, 04:41 PM
 
Location: Spring Hill, Florida
20 posts, read 157,064 times
Reputation: 23
"grngost1 said she was looking at Tampa to take the kids, not I."

Songbird, I am a man...not a she...hahahaha! I think you miss understood what I was saying. I mentioned family outings......like the aquarium, beaches, etc. I would never think that ANY kids going to "bars" is a good idea.

What I got out of the original poster's thoughts was this: raising children takes involvment by the parents. My experience is that no matter what the situation is....you can always find fun things with the right attitude.

I have seen alot of "it's expensive" posts. Well, reality check.....it takes money to raise children. Also, with the right amount of imagination, there are plenty of free (cheap) wholesome family things to do.

I agree that any community should have things for teens. Teens with idle time can (not always) equal trouble. Which means it is a community issue.....not just parents. Hence, the saying.......it takes a village to raise children.
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Old 05-11-2007, 05:36 PM
 
1,080 posts, read 4,578,931 times
Reputation: 613
Default Kids

Some of your thoughts are valid......but there are many in SH who do not have the money to entertain their children, or the time. Many parents work two jobs just to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.

The community doesn't care, you think the people that live behind their high walls care, that's why there behind those walls. The recreation dept. tries
to provide new programs all the time, but most programs end at age 16/17.
I'd love to see a girls basketball team get started, just like the guys have
that play at Powell, they have a few seniors from Springstead on their team
but there has to be a need and kids that would want to join.

What's the answer? We pay enough taxes for a community center or swimming pool to be built........that's been on the agenda for years, and still nothing.
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Old 05-11-2007, 05:58 PM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
162 posts, read 676,221 times
Reputation: 96
As the original poster, the purpose of this question was really curiousity what people were looking for kids to be able to do here, i.e., what the area is missing. I see so many posts on various boards where people complain that they grew up here and there is nothing to do. And others who say that they have to go to Tampa - it isn't limited to any one person responding to my post, I see it elsewhere as well. But no one ever says what they're leaving town to do that isn't available here.

From what I've gathered here it seems people might like to see an under 21 club and a Rec center. I am curious though if a Rec center exists outside of an urban area or where the nearest under 21 club is - if one exists.
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Old 05-12-2007, 08:15 AM
 
Location: Philly to Odessa
436 posts, read 1,355,160 times
Reputation: 177
This post has hit home for me! I am relocating to Odessa and while it is a beautiful rural area, I too am concerned my kids will hate it and think it is too boring. I have 4: ages 24, 18, 14, and 11. My oldest will be returning to finish college so I am not worried about him. But my other 3 concern me since they do not want to move to begin with. I keep encouraging them on how much they will love their new home and how they will make friends.... but then I worry since it will be a huge adjustment. Any success stories out there?
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