And Then There's Dad

It Takes a Village. But Not This One.

by Gary Drevitch

The citizens of these communities—elderly and otherwise—claim to relish their quiet open spaces, free from the pitter, the patter, and, yes, the stomp of little feet. They also say that they love children, or at least that they once did, but now they’d just prefer to be around people more like themselves. Still, something is lost in a community without children. I don’t mean to say that children, especially the neighbors’ children, are always so delightful to be around or endlessly entertaining. Any parent knows that they’re not. Just as any parent knows it would be foolish to argue that a town wouldn’t be somewhat more peaceful without them around.

No, what I think residents of these new villages are losing is the effect children can have on them. When there are children around, one watches one’s language. One drives more safely. One is asked more often to contribute to the community by kids involved in charitable events. One might even be called upon to share his or her experiences with the local young people. Or, like Mr. Wilson from “Dennis the Menace,” or Mr. Bleakman from “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” one might simply have to respond to a passing child asking, “Whatcha doing?” And what’s wrong with that? Who really wants to give up all interaction with a group of people who might actually be want to learn from you? To put it simply, when there are kids around, there’s more opportunity to be involved. And isn’t that just what the doctor recommends for today’s “active seniors”?