I used to lament a bit on the lack of children in my neighborhood. We are the only family with young children on our entire street. As a matter of fact, if I want to find a little boy my sons age, I have to go down about 4 streets.
But I've decided I wouldn't trade my situation for any other hood on the planet. My kids have great friends of many ages these days. They had a tea party today with our sweet neighbor who is in her eighties. They have a cute "2nd Granny" just up the street who brings them blueberries and invites them for playdates when her grandchildren are over. We have another awesome neighbor with her last son in high school who swung by today and offered to take them swimming.
We have so many great people in our neighborhood who care about my kids and are so watchful over them. Last summer we had a really creepy ice cream man - and another woman up the street came by to tell me to watch out for him. He really was the weirdest ice cream man ever . . .
The other great part about this -- you know that boy who lives about 4 streets away -- well we swung by his house last night when we were out on a walk through the "hood" and he and his 9 year old brother were across the street helping their cute elderly neighbor who is losing her sight pick flowers. These cute boys were walking her around her yard arm in arm.
I'd rather have this than a game of kick the can anyday!