[double_delight]

I'm recently widowed (at fifty) with two young children (three yr old twins) and am interested in moving to Holiday Island, Arkansas. Will my children find friends to play with in this community. Will the community have any biases with me being a widow and a older mother? I am looking for a place where I can blend in and find a friendly group of people so my children can thrive and have a healthy childhood surrounded by beauty. I come from a small family and so did my husband so the good news is we can live anywhere we want to. The bad news is it is very lonely. Thank you in advance for your help.

PS If this isn't a favorable place for us to fit in, any other recommendations are appreciated!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by double_delight

I'm recently widowed (at fifty) with two young children (three yr old twins) and am interested in moving to Holiday Island, Arkansas. Will my children find friends to play with in this community. Will the community have any biases with me being a widow and a older mother? I am looking for a place where I can blend in and find a friendly group of people so my children can thrive and have a healthy childhood surrounded by beauty. I come from a small family and so did my husband so the good news is we can live anywhere we want to. The bad news is it is very lonely. Thank you in advance for your help.

PS If this isn't a favorable place for us to fit in, any other recommendations are appreciated!

Holiday Island is beautiful but it is almost all retired people and tourists. Ithink you might be happier in Bentonville, Rogers, Centerton, Bella Vista, etc. BV used to be all retired but more young families are moving in all the time. I doubt any of the communities I have mentioned will think too much about your age and being an older mother. It might be something they are curious about but you will be just fine. Our family leader (minister) whatever we are calling him is probably close to 50 as is his wife, they are new to our area and also have twins, a little boy and girl about 2 or so.

Most of the cities in NWA have active groups for families thus your little ones will be fine.

Nita

[double_delight]

Thank you so much for your quick reply to my post. I thought about the areas you mentioned and appreciate the info. Another question, have been looking into Ozark and Nixa MO to live as well. Can you provide any feedback to those areas to raise my family. Also, if you had to choose, which area would you move to Bentonville, BV, Rogers or Ozark and Nixa? Thank you SO much for your feedback.

[Kimballette]

Originally Posted by double_delight

Thank you so much for your quick reply to my post. I thought about the areas you mentioned and appreciate the info. Another question, have been looking into Ozark and Nixa MO to live as well. Can you provide any feedback to those areas to raise my family. Also, if you had to choose, which area would you move to Bentonville, BV, Rogers or Ozark and Nixa? Thank you SO much for your feedback.

Since this is the Arkansas forum, discussing the pros and cons of settling in Missouri would be off topic. Please feel free to start a new thread in the appropriate MO forums. Thanks!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by double_delight

Thank you so much for your quick reply to my post. I thought about the areas you mentioned and appreciate the info. Another question, have been looking into Ozark and Nixa MO to live as well. Can you provide any feedback to those areas to raise my family. Also, if you had to choose, which area would you move to Bentonville, BV, Rogers or Ozark and Nixa? Thank you SO much for your feedback.

Well, of course I am prejudice cause I live in Bella Vista and love it. Buth the other towns are great. Centerton is anothe up and coming small town with lots of young families but maybe almost too young if you are sensitive about being an older mother. I think I would stick with Bentonville or Bella Vista. As I mentioned Bella Vista used to be a retirement community but is changing by the day. We have a new elementary school which is only k trrough 4th and has almost 800 kids plus another new one about to be built on the other side of town. Bentonville is more convenient to shopping, dining, etc but Bella Vista is only 15 to 20 minutes from good dining, shopping and medical facilities and is more rural. There is nothing wrong with Rogers, I just get the feeling it doesn't have as much personality as Bentonville and Bella Vista. Again, that is only my opinion.

Nita

[double_delight]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Well, of course I am prejudice cause I live in Bella Vista and love it. Buth the other towns are great. Centerton is anothe up and coming small town with lots of young families but maybe almost too young if you are sensitive about being an older mother. I think I would stick with Bentonville or Bella Vista. As I mentioned Bella Vista used to be a retirement community but is changing by the day. We have a new elementary school which is only k trrough 4th and has almost 800 kids plus another new one about to be built on the other side of town. Bentonville is more convenient to shopping, dining, etc but Bella Vista is only 15 to 20 minutes from good dining, shopping and medical facilities and is more rural. There is nothing wrong with Rogers, I just get the feeling it doesn't have as much personality as Bentonville and Bella Vista. Again, that is only my opinion.

Nita

Thank you Nita for this feedback. Bella Vista seems like a nice place as well as Bentonville. I have another question about alternative healthcare. I am studying to be a Homeopath and hope to open a practice where my family relocates. I also have another telecommuting job to help fill in the gaps but will eventually like to practice Homeopathy 100 percent. Is the area that you reside open to his type of health modality? Would it be unrealistic to commute everyday to another city? I am still trying to find the laws in Arkansas too for this type of healing art. It hasn't been easy. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. This area seems so relaxing and peaceful. A majoc decision so I need to really research this and thank you for your help.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by double_delight

Thank you Nita for this feedback. Bella Vista seems like a nice place as well as Bentonville. I have another question about alternative healthcare. I am studying to be a Homeopath and hope to open a practice where my family relocates. I also have another telecommuting job to help fill in the gaps but will eventually like to practice Homeopathy 100 percent. Is the area that you reside open to his type of health modality? Would it be unrealistic to commute everyday to another city? I am still trying to find the laws in Arkansas too for this type of healing art. It hasn't been easy. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. This area seems so relaxing and peaceful. A majoc decision so I need to really research this and thank you for your help.

I really can't help you there. I think your best bet would be Fayetteville area, but I don't know. Hopefully someone else here can be of more assistance on the subject of alternative health care. Fayetteville area is about 40 to 60 minutes from Bella Vista (depending on the time of day and where in BV you are) it is about 25 to 30 minutes from Bentonville.

Nita

[elymims]

From a mom ( I am 50 myself) that lived in Carroll County... there is almost NO daycare option in either HI or ES. I know I tried to run a childcare home in ES and was pushed out by the zoning rules & Misty closed Island Kids 2 years ago; Holiday Island kids are bused to ES for school. Both areas are touristy with little work in Winter (not to mention traveling the roads when iced); I moved out to Fayetteville last summer and had much better options AND it's only an hour back to ES for visits and cultural events. Loads to do here including the bike trails which lead all over Fayetteville. We have a great farmers market & Ozark Natural is the Food Co-Op.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by elymims

From a mom ( I am 50 myself) that lived in Carroll County... there is almost NO daycare option in either HI or ES. I know I tried to run a childcare home in ES and was pushed out by the zoning rules & Misty closed Island Kids 2 years ago; Holiday Island kids are bused to ES for school. Both areas are touristy with little work in Winter (not to mention traveling the roads when iced); I moved out to Fayetteville last summer and had much better options AND it's only an hour back to ES for visits and cultural events. Loads to do here including the bike trails which lead all over Fayetteville. We have a great farmers market & Ozark Natural is the Food Co-Op.

Farmers market, yum, yum. We were there last Sat. The fresh garlic is so good I don't think I will ever be able to go back to what they sell as fresh in the stores.

Nita