Parenting in the Post-McMansion Era

As oversized homes fall out of fashion, is Junior's private lair disappearing? And is that really so bad?

1 minute read

March 14, 2012, 5:00 AM PDT

By Hazel Borys


As the nation's love affair with McMansions continues to wane, what does that mean for our kids? Trulia says that more than a third of the homebuying market now wants a pad under 2,000 SF. Scott Doyon points out the benefits that may be in store for our kids in these smaller homes, including learning to share, cooperate, problem solve, and self-edit. And that's before you get to the benefits of a more connected community. Doyon says:

"I'm a parent so, not surprisingly, I'm always on the lookout for intersections between that and my work in community design. The last time I considered the issue, I was thinking at the level of the neighborhood and exploring how walkable, mixed-use, mixed-product environments help parents combat a host of contemporary child-rearing ills."

"Today I move from the neighborhood to the house and wonder: In what ways are evolving trends in home buying impacting our kids - and our responsibility for raising them?"

Thanks to Hazel Borys

Monday, March 12, 2012 in PlaceShakers

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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