Life in Madison with kids? (Union: neighborhoods, schools, university)

[nrv0us]

Considering a move to Madison, and we have a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old.

How would you rate Madison as a place to raise kids? (Feel free to talk about schools, but other stuff as well.) What are its major pros and cons? Also, list your favourite things to do, places to go, etc. in the area with your children.

[Ragnar]

For us, it is tough to find free kids' activities in the winter that are not outside in the brutal cold. Summer is wonderful with plenty of parks, playgrounds and the Madison zoo as well as downtown activities like the farmers market. Plan to budget about $60 per day per child for childcare if you need it. You can find childcare for less if you shop around, but you generally get what you pay for. If you are already used to finding winter activities for the kids, then you should like Madison.

[amysherman]

The Madison area is a fantastic place to raise a family! I grew up here and am now raising my son here. Almost all of the communities including Madison have great rec. departments that offer all kinds of activities year 'round.
We do lots of sports, play outside at the MANY parks, see Concerts on the Square in the summer, go to farmer's markets and enjoy the lakes.
In the winter we cross country ski, make snow forts, ice skate etc. In the summer we love to swim at the pool, ride bikes on the trails, visit the Memorial Union and go to the free zoo.
Schools are mostly very good. Try www.greatschools.org And the opportunity to learn outside of school is excellent. There are programs through the University, the arboretum, Olbrich Botanical gardens, the list goes on and on...
There are so many things to do for families!

[nrv0us]

Thanks for this info -- would you say Madison has a pretty slow-paced and laid-back feel, or is there an element of the rat race to it?

[Megan1967]

Madison is pretty laid back, but it is still a Northern city and compared to cities in the Southern states it may seem rat-racey. I have noticed that a lot of parents schedule their children's lives within an inch of their lives. When I was a kid we all hung out in the neighborhood during the summer playing kick ball, riding bikes, playing tag, ghost in the graveyard, listening to my older sister play guitar on the front porch, playing house... It was much more laid back than what I see kids doing now.

[Ragnar]

It probably depends greatly on who you hang with, but we sense a lot of pressure that families put on kids to be involved in a constant stream of activities. The Madison populace tends to be over-educated in general, and this contributes to the push. The plus side is there are a lot of different activities and learning opportunities for kids in Madison, you just have to be discerning on how to filter out the push to overdo them.

[amysherman]

You really have to pick and choose. It can be hard to hold back and not get into the craziness that starts early. Part of this is parents who are overachievers. They are out doing triathalons so why not have the kids in competitive soccer at the age of 5? I'm not into that and my son usually does one sport a semester, with the exception of summer when I let him go crazy and try a little of everything. No one is going to look down on you for not having your kids in 50 activities, but on occasion I have felt like I was one of a few instead of the many. : )
You'll find people who think the way you do, and if you live in a neighborhood that makes you comfortable (ie not the mcmasion neighborhoods) you'll be more likely to find laidback families.