Decided to Move Away
Created by JacobHi folks,
Before I start, I’m generally an optimist and don’t like to moan, but wanted to share my decision with my fellow residents.
After living here for over a year now, we’ve decided that we’re moving out sometime next year.
The reasons are that we are bringing up a child who is 2 years old at the moment. We love to spend time as a family together and frequent areas such as the parks, or go for walks around the area we live in.
What spoils it for us are the more un-sociable residents who unfortunately live in the area. These range from youths that swear, spit and vandalise, adults (who you’d think know better) swearing, spitting and simply don’t care about the environment we live in.
Here are some examples.
We actually live in a small enclosed area, and all our 5 or so neighbours are fantastic which is a bonus for living here, but our house backs onto a road that is used by residents. Nothing wrong with that on its own, but a regular incident we witness is teenagers drinking alcohol as they walk in the street, swearing, spitting, throwing stones / eggs at houses, children (estimated at 11 years old) riding a motorbike without helmets around the streets. Incidents like this are reported to the police.
Having gone to the park recently as a family, a Mother there stepped in when her son was being picked on. Good for her I thought. Then she started to talk to three girls who she didn’t know and got into a conversation about the bully. She started swearing in her conversation with these three girls, who were no older than 12. I couldn’t believe it. She then left with her 4 children, who then started shouting the F word (thinking it was so funny) and the mother did nothing about it. They walked up the path shouting it. Couldn’t believe a Mother would allow this, especially in public with other young children around.
I was walking with my Boy down the road passing a house. The owner was in his garden picking up rubbish with a stick that had either blown or had been thrown in his garden. He simply threw the rubbish out of his garden and onto the path! I challenged him on what he was doing, but he said nothing and walked back into his house, slamming the door!
There are plenty more incidents that I witness on a daily basis that I don’t want to subject my little lad to as he grows up. I want him to grow up to be a good man, and influences like this wont make my job easy.
I simply don’t want to bring my son up in an area like this. Some people just don’t care about the area they live in, or have any manners, or even care about how they bring up their children.
It’s a shame really, as no doubt these people are the minority, but it really spoils the area. I’ve never lived in a place like this before.
Until we move, I’ll continue to make the best of the area, and do my best to help improve it.
Would welcome anyone to comment on what their thoughts are or what they would suggest, if anything.
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on Sunday, August 15th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
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August 17th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Hi Tink,
I honestly don’t believe that this is restricted to Kingsway. I grew up in Alveston, just outside of Thornbury, and whilst I’m sure there was an element of unruly behaviour I managed to miss out. What I see now when I visit my Dad, who still lives there, are the local youths in the park drinking, swearing and riding around at all hours on their mopeds.
What we all know is that any child now is growing up in the supposed “Broken Britain”. However you as a parent can make sure your young lad grows up to be a respectable young man who doesn’t mimick those around him. As long as you lead by example then your young man will grow up to respect the principles that you lay down for him.
My partner has two children that are being brought up with strong principles and ethics, compared to some of their friends they are worlds apart. I have never met two more polite, quiet and well behaved children that are regularly complimented for their good behaviour. Yes they occasionally get bored and start to look for their own entertainment, however their biggest guiding principle is respect. They respect adults and others and understand what is right and wrong. This boredom is also part of the problem. I think some parents don’t feel that their children need constant attention, engagement and entertainment, leading to make their own mischief. The Youth Pod will hopefully start to make some impact to newer children coming through that haven’t already been mis-directed into unsocial behaviour.
I often ask myself if I just look back with rose tinted glasses, whether the unruly element didn’t exist, or whether my parents did a good job of shielding me from it. That I’ve not yet been able to fathom out. As long as your bring your young lad up with guiding morals, ethics and respect he will turn out to be a well balanced respected individual too. If you know, and get on with, all of your neighbours then you already have the basics of a really good environment in which to bring your child up. If you are regularly getting annoyed at your neighbours then your children will pick up on this and in turn lead to a lack of respect, that can fester and grow into something you have seen out on the streets.
I’ll end with an apology that I’m not trying to tell you how to bring up your child. However I believe that you as responsible parents can bring up a family anywhere in the world as long as you give them love and guidance. As far as area’s go, Kingsway reminds me alot of Alveston when I was growing up. The kids will be back to school soon, the bored kids will be out of the park and you can go back to enjoying all the benefits that Kingsway has to offer.
(I’ll make another apology for what seems like war & peace!)
Cheers
Paul
August 20th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Hi Tink,
The incidents you detailed are very sad and I’m very sorry they have combined to make you decide to move away.
Like Paul I’m afraid these types of incidents happen in the majority of neighbourhoods nowadays and are symptomatic of the general lack of respect for others that seems to pervade our society.
I’m not going to enlarge on this line of thought because I don’t see the point and because Paul has done an excellent job of echoing my thoughts on the subject, but I am genuinely sorry to hear that you have decided to move on
Hi Paul,
Very nice post… No apologies needed as far as I’m concerned.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:12 am
Hopefully, you may decide that from the considerable attention being given now by all the agencies who can address such difficulties after the large number of reported concerns from residents – moving away may not now be needed in order to maintain the moral standing you want for your son as he grows-up. The actions being taken are for the better, and they are being seen for sure. We have been given the collective access ability to register such difficulties, and if we all use it, then things must surely improve for the better even faster than they appear already!