tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post115775631923856046..comments2023-11-02T09:08:09.242-07:00Comments on <i>Daddy Dialectic</i>: When the Summer Comes UndoneJeremy Adam Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733669114207985920noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23363296.post-1158089597323326102006-09-12T12:33:00.000-07:002006-09-12T12:33:00.000-07:00Between this post and my earlier one on drunks on ...Between this post and my earlier one on drunks on the playgrounds, we've pretty much covered all the reasons why SF doesn't feel very friendly to young families: cost, safety and crime issues, a sometimes anti-kid social atmosphere, plus the situation you describe, where you have to constantly watch your kid and teach them how to physically negotiate an urban environment. (Last month at a campground I met a dad who lived in rural northern CA; he seemed appalled when I described how much time and energy I spend making sure Liko doesn't run into traffic, play with broken glass, etc. I hadn't thought much of it, but recently I've realized how much this vigilance adds to day to day stress.) To all that you have to add family fragmentation: many parents of young children moved here from somewhere else, and often find themselves without family help or relief, something that many of us didn't expect to need; add divorce to the mix, and it gets really tough. Parents of older children might also add concerns about the quality and safety of public school, which is definitely on my radar though not yet a direct concern to me.<BR/><BR/>I'm tempted to end with a call for activism: we need to mobilize to make SF more livable! But shit, who has time for that? Easier just to move back to the hometown or to an East Bay suburb.<BR/><BR/>Hang in there, Chris. And don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it!Jeremy Adam Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11733669114207985920noreply@blogger.com