When hubby and I found this farm I was 8 months pregnant with our first son.  I never pictured my future raising 3 sons on a farm, but those are the cards that I was dealt and I was ready to experience country living and see how it compared to living in the burbs.

Growing up in the burbs and raising our boys in the country has created a slight learning curve.  So far this is what I’ve struggled with:

• Their bus ride is almost and hour each way.
• K thru 12 ride the bus together, which I’m none to happy about.
• Time with friends has to be scheduled.  They can’t just step out the door and have a neighborhood full of friends to play with everyday.
• There aren’t as many sports options in a small country town as there are in a city.  The ones that are available you have to be tuned in or know someone to find out when sign ups are scheduled.  However I must say the leagues are getting better about this and advertising through the school by sending flyers home or in the local paper.
• The high school class options are smaller meaning no Home Economics, Industrial Arts, etc.
• Lessons of any kind like swimming, gymnastics, etc. are available in other states or counties, which makes for a longer commute.

As many as there are cons there are just as many pros.  A small country town also has many things to offer including:

• The class sizes are around 100 per graduating class.  Less students makes it easier on parents to know one another.  Therefore the more parents you know the more eyes you have on your kids to keep them safe.
• Living on a farm a half mile off the road makes for less worry when the boys go out to play.  No need to worry about them running out into the road and getting hit.
• Plenty of room to ride their bikes safely with a long driveway.
• My boys are more interesting in playing outside during any season of the year than they are playing video games.  When they get bored inside I have to remind them that they have a Wii, Nintendo DS, or Leapster to play with.

My advice to anyone moving to the country please look into the following before you move.  It may help you decide whether moving from the city to the country is worth it for your family.

• See what the public school district rates in the state.
• Even if you have little ones visit the high school to see what’s classes are offered and what’s required of them to graduate.  Believe it or not it’s different from state to state.
• Find out how far you are from the school and how long the bus ride will be for your children.
• Research what sports leagues are offered for what ages, and what lessons are offered and where.  If they don’t have what you need check out the surrounding cities/counties.
• Know how far your shopping for groceries, clothes, etc are going to be.  Living in the country means some of these things aren’t as convenient as others.
• Sometime you’ll need repair shops for your vehicle(s).  Ask around for suggestions so you know where to go when the time comes.
• And by all means check out the registered sex offender list no matter where you end up moving.  Living in the country doesn’t mean there’s no crime and predators don’t exist, but I can say it is usually less than cities.

I sincerely hope this and my post about City Versus Country Living help you decide if country living is right for your family.  If you have any questions about country living please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or email me at citychiconafarm@gmail.com.  I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

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