[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

I have enjoyed the time my daughter and I can spend at the beach. She has also taken snorkeling lessons which has given her alot confidence and want to learn how to scuba dive.

I live in Volusia county, about halfway in between Orlando and Daytona. I have lived here 2001.

[1970pelle]

My wife and I are from Ohio.Moved to Florida 18 years ago.We have two boys 12 and 8.They love Florida.We make trips to Ohio twice a year to vist family.Just this Christmas they played in snow again.My wife and I feel that Florida has more to offer the Ohio.We are here to stay.My oldest son made Who's Who this year.They both do very well in school.We have both prepaid college setup for the boys.They are going to be active in sports.Our family has nothing but good to say about Florida!

[121804]

Originally Posted by SirenSong71

Could you all please share some experiences and opinions about raising children in Florida? My husband and I have very young children and we're looking to relocate somewhere (maybe Fl or AZ, not so sure yet). Please, don't turn this into a contest, though. I want your own experiences and opinions...please don't turn it into a 'wrestling match'... thanks!

Just do me a favor, when you post, tell me where you live and how long you've lived there.

Thanks so much!!

Since you mentioned that you would not be moving for awhile, make sure when the time comes that you get your children involved as much as possible. There is a big difference b/w vacationing in the land of mickey compared to living in it. We lived in SWFL & left due to family reasons & the fact we felt that area was retirement country more than family oriented. We moved there due to job circumstances; knew what we were entering into re: demographics & some other issues but the impact was much more than what we anticipated.
Each area of the state offers something different though & the more research you do, the better off you will be.
And if & when you do move, no matter where the final destination may be, take into consideration that your children will be leaving their friends & what they are familiar with, etc. They should be the #1 priority when moving & how it will impact them. Prepare them for all the good & the things they will be leaving behind. It is only fair to them. If they are close to relatives where you live know, that is also something that needs to be explained. I am a middle school teacher & every year there was always someone new to class...interesting to see how each kid handles the adjustment. The more the parents were upfront & open & not sugarcoating it all, the better the kids did.
Best of luck.

[SirenSong71]

Originally Posted by 121804

Since you mentioned that you would not be moving for awhile, make sure when the time comes that you get your children involved as much as possible. There is a big difference b/w vacationing in the land of mickey compared to living in it. We lived in SWFL & left due to family reasons & the fact we felt that area was retirement country more than family oriented. We moved there due to job circumstances; knew what we were entering into re: demographics & some other issues but the impact was much more than what we anticipated.
Each area of the state offers something different though & the more research you do, the better off you will be.
And if & when you do move, no matter where the final destination may be, take into consideration that your children will be leaving their friends & what they are familiar with, etc. They should be the #1 priority when moving & how it will impact them. Prepare them for all the good & the things they will be leaving behind. It is only fair to them. If they are close to relatives where you live know, that is also something that needs to be explained. I am a middle school teacher & every year there was always someone new to class...interesting to see how each kid handles the adjustment. The more the parents were upfront & open & not sugarcoating it all, the better the kids did.
Best of luck.

Thanks, you brought up some good points about the relocation process. My children are really very young (18 months and 10 months) so yes it will impact them, but I think they're more likely to bounce back better than say, a child already in the school system. When my brother moved from NJ to AZ his three boys were all in school already: High School (yeah I know...yikes!! moving a teen from their friends!!??), grammer school and kindergarten. Of course he had A LOT of problems with my 15 year old nephew, who for the first two months did nothing but brood and say things to them like "You've ruined my life!!" (can you blame him??). My brother's best advice to me was, if you're gonna move, do it now while they're really young.

[121804]

Originally Posted by SirenSong71

Thanks, you brought up some good points about the relocation process. My children are really very young (18 months and 10 months) so yes it will impact them, but I think they're more likely to bounce back better than say, a child already in the school system. When my brother moved from NJ to AZ his three boys were all in school already: High School (yeah I know...yikes!! moving a teen from their friends!!??), grammer school and kindergarten. Of course he had A LOT of problems with my 15 year old nephew, who for the first two months did nothing but brood and say things to them like "You've ruined my life!!" (can you blame him??). My brother's best advice to me was, if you're gonna move, do it now while they're really young.

We moved now instead of later due the same reason. We rented also for this exact reason & so glad we did.

Moving is tough on everyone & moving when they are little is a lot easier!!

[novanative75]

Originally Posted by donnaluv

We have 2 daughters, 11 & 16 months, & live in Pasco county. We will be relocating to PA because we feel this is not a state for children. My oldest has to be @ the bus stop in the morning @ 6:30am & it is pitch black. My husband drops her off @ a friends house so she doesn't have to walk by herself. The so called "grass" here is covered w/red ants & when they bite, it's like 10 @ a time biting. I feel they should have 4 seasons & experience everything my husband & I did when we were growing up in NY. For example: Snow, raking leaves & jumping in them, apple picking, just to name a few.

I do not have kids but want the same thing for them eventually, the joys of the seasons,etc. Aside from weather related things (which I do not really think are that important anyway) I really have not heard anyone say anything about Florida that you can not do somewhere else. I played sports year round in Virginia. I have friends all over the country who take scuba lessons, etc. In my opinion, those weather related things do not make up for the poor schools and the lack of seasons here. I live in SWFL and it is overrun with retirees and vacationers, with small numbers of middle class and families.

[lkm370]

this isnt the place to raise your children, child molestors everywhere, crappy schools, high taxes, expensive dirty day care

[Margel]

I moved from Philly to Odessa in Pasco County with 3 of my 4 children. The oldest one will be 25 in May and has his life established in Philadelphia. While my kids were at first excited about a new house, then later changed their minds and didn't want to move, eventually made the transition. My youngest (12) especially loves the school she attends and has made many new friends. If you do your homework and choose a family-friendly area that isn't big city with the crime issues (like anywhere across the states), you'll be fine. Florida is a great place to be outdoors and doing all kinds of activities with your children.

[SirenSong71]

Originally Posted by lkm370

this isnt the place to raise your children, child molestors everywhere, crappy schools, high taxes, expensive dirty day care

Well, I HAVE heard a lot of negatives about Florida schools and I 've seen the reports, but I do plan to supplement my children's education at home with some home schooling and get them started early (they're very young now) whether we live here or somewhere else. Where I am in Pennsy the East Penn school district is one of the best in the country, BUT because of the heavy influx of people from NY, NJ etc. the school system is starting to suffer big time. Day care doesn't bother me because I'm a stay at home Mom. High taxes also don't bother me because being from the NE, I'm very, very used to it. And child molesters are EVERYWHERE.

See for yourself:

National Sex Offender Registry

Try the above site and plug in your own zip. I was SHOCKED. I thought the area I lived in was oh so safe because that's how it's touted. There's a child moletser IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD right across from the park, and over TEN in the surrounding areas. Those are just the ones that are registered.

[AONE]

I have lived in Orlando since 2000. When I was a child (4-6) I lived in Cocoa on the air base. I got to walk across the road for the beach. Fish on the river, and I loved it. I never felt like I was at home in any other place. I came back here nearly yearly for the 35 years between. I lived in Kansas City for 30+ years and it never felt like home and I knew it well. I love Orlando and FL is home. It was great as a child...but that was also in a year long since passed. I know from being In Real Estate here that we have good and bad schools. and if you read the threads you will see many that have negative things to say. It seems you get out what you put in. I haven't seen any crime first hand but I hear about it. I don't lock my doors, no one unwanted comes in. I drive all over including the bad areas, I havent been car jacked, attacked or injured in any way. I love to go to the beach, the parks, dinners, The plant life is amazing and wonderful. The fruit trees are beautiful the night blooming jasmine is enchanting. Armadillos are cute One lives in my back yard - no issues except i had to rescue him from the pool one night. I'm not a fan of the wolf spiders... but we had those in Missouri so no difference for me. I don't mind the occassional snake that passes by. The hawks are cool. Eagles even better. And in January I'm in shorts with no shirt.... Doing that in Missouri would get you a stay in the mental hospital. We had a few big storms in 2004.... tonadoes were a regular in Missouri yearly... They had far more tornadoes than FL has Hurricanes. People complain about the summer... my experience is this every summer it gets hot in the day asit approaches 95 it then rains for about 30 minutes and the temp goes to 80... In Missouri we had over 30 consecutive days over 110 degrees.with 90% hunidity, no rain. that is hot. I won't complain about FL being hot after that. The coldest I've seen here is 26 it was the winter I moved here... I left KC and packed a truck in one of the many ice storms. I was glad to leave. Kansas City schools were so bad they lost their accreditation.
People complain if they no nothing worse. I guess I do so I have a good view of FL. It is a beautiful state. and i loved growing up here and living here again.