Parenting Guru: 10 little things I love about coming home to raise our children
It never really o
ccurred to me that one day I might live somewhere other than Pensacola, Florida. Of course, I considered going away to college and even attended Auburn University. I think I made it all the way to day 10 at Auburn before crying uncle and going home.
In 2003, my husband accepted a great job offer with a fantastic company...in Cleveland, Ohio. It was his dream job, so before he left to fly up for the interview, I slid a note in his suitcase that said, "I will follow you anywhere. Good luck." I followed him first to Ohio and then to Alabama, where we have lived for 5 years. Today, nearly 8 years after the tearful journey to Ohio, we live in a subdivision that is across the street from my parents' house.
While it is never easy to decide to pull your children out of their school and away from friends, here are 10 of the reasons we did just that.
We live closer to family. My husband and I both have extended family in the area. It was important to us that our children know their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
School system. Though I wasn't unhappy with the schools in Alabama, I am giddy about the schools the children attend here. I was a classroom teacher here before we moved and my mother was the school principal for years, so I know many of the teachers in the schools my children attend.
Job opportunities. Every year towards the end of summer, I start to wonder if I should return to teaching. With a Florida teacher's license and our small Alabama town laying off teachers every year, it never seemed like a possibility. This year, it is a possibility.
Friends. Our closest friends are couples we met in Lamaze class when we were all pregnant for the first time. We remained close to a few of the other families and we are looking forward to seeing them more than twice a year.
No more snow. When we moved to Ohio, I had never seen more than two or three snowflakes fall. The snow was beautiful to me - magical even - but I slid through every intersection in northeast Ohio.
Sense of community. I moved to Ohio and then Alabama not knowing a soul in either state. I remember my saddest days in Ohio as the days when I went to the grocery store, the mall, the doctor's office and Target and didn't see a familiar face all day long. Once I burst into tears in a department store because I thought I saw a friend, but it wasn't her. One day I may get tired of chatting with someone every where I go, but I doubt it.
Politics. I was never without an opinion about local political issues before we moved. Moving to an unfamiliar community, I was never really comfortable making decisions on the city or state level.
Child care. We now have our choice of free babysitters! Did I mention that my parents are right across the street?!!?
Special occasions and events. With both our families living in Pensacola, we did the bulk of the traveling for holidays and family celebrations, or we missed family events entirely.
Living entirely in one state. Regardless of our address, home was always Pensacola. Finally, our home, our family, and our hearts share a zip code.
Jeri Nowlin Shaffer is a Shine Parenting Guru and writer living in beautiful Pensacola, Florida. When she isn't unpacking boxes or turning cartwheels in her new home, she spends her time caring for four children and documenting personal drama at www.mothering4.com.
