Is A Sheltered Suburban Childhood Good For Kids?

Mary Newsom, a columnist for the Charlotte Observer, shares some thoughts and observations of a planner friend who worries the suburban upbringing he's given his children has prevented them from learning how to interact with different people.

"As a kid, I was raised in urban neighborhoods on Cleveland's westside and close-in suburbs. We walked nearly everywhere and took the bus when it was too far.

As a result, we got to know a variety of people and have a range of experiences. As an adult parent, I (and my wife) raised our kids in the suburbs where they had their own yard, a small circle of friends and we had to drive them everywhere. Despite my wife's and my best efforts, looking at our now-grown children, I believe that their suburban upbringing deprived them of many things, including how to interact with unfamiliar people and out-of-the-ordinary experiences."