Neighborhood watch and the Security guards are working

apologize in advance for jumping to another conclusion about you like the last guy... but is this the first neighborhood you've ever lived in? IMO, Broadlands is night and day better than 95% of all other neighborhoods in the region. At least the teens here aren't breaking into cars and houses like so many other places in Northern VA (Arlington/Falls Church/Springfield) and across the country in large city suburban neighborhoods. Vandalism happens everywhere with teens (egging houses, toilet paper, tagging walls, destruction of property, etc...), doesn't mean we don't need to deal with our own less major issues, but we've got it pretty well here IMO.

If you're leaving Broadlands to avoid teens vandalism, then you'd better be heading to a 24/7 monitored country club

 

Never said you said it. I take full credit for saying it.

 

Our "teen" isisues are not unique to Broadlands. I know of some of the commuities in the area that are having far worse problems.
I also know of some big "teen" problems in the rural western part of the county.
Gated communities also have problems. Remember.....the problems are mostly coming from within, not people traveling to the community.

 

show me ONE place in the u.s where kids don't act up and there are no juvenile delinquents. social class and neigborhood affluence have NOTHING to do with whether or not kids misbehave. i would wager that regardless of whether parents raise kids in a ghetto or a mansion- the combo of their attention and effectiveness AND the hard-wire make up of the child are what determine how they behave.

Paris Hilton- rasied in a mansion. without the influence and MONEY of her family she'd be just another drugged out, irresponsible idiot going in and out of jail.

Jayzee- raised in a ghetto- succeesful entrepeneur and musican IN SPITE of the lack of support from 2 attentive parents.

sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don't- our problems are minimal compared to other places.

 

500 is a bit much...who even knows if this kid they caught did all the vandalizing however who ever did do all that does need to be punished because it put a bad rap on all the teenagers which makes me very mad

 

you all were kids once right? i know everyone broke the rules at least once as a teen...don't act like you never did something bad...and if you have young children...they will break the rules when they get older to...you probably won't even know either..talking about locking kids inside their house? wow this is getting out of hand

 

Yes, you’re correct in that statement, but before you condemn a poster because they don't meet your expectations of experience, you should consider that while they may or may not have any children, they have worked with them in the past.

Trust me, teens don't change, it’s the parents that do. Teens will always push the limits to see what they can and cannot get away with; it’s all about limits, and pushing them. It is a part of life. Parents, will want to provide more for their children or give more liberties to their children, which is a great thing. It's those instants where teens decide to either take advantage of these liberties and do harm either to themselves or to others and their surroundings. That's where as parents and role models we can only hope that what we teach them about right and wrong kicks in and helps them make the correct choices.

I may not have children, but that does not mean I don't understand them.

 

If you don't have kids, you don't have the experience to criticize those of us who do. I was a great parent until I actually had kids.

"Understanding" kids and "raising" kids 24-7 are two very different things.

We parents are humans too, and we also make mistakes. Knowing the balance between giving your kids the freedom to learn how to conduct themselves when mom and dad aren't around, and giving them too much rope to hang themselves with isn't an exact science. We are learning too. All we can do is mold them, teach them, and discipline them when they make mistakes.

Those of you with small kids, just wait. As my mom used to say:

"Little kids, little problems; big kids, big problems"

That being said, I'm enjoying this phase of my kids' lives the most of any stage they've been in. Teens are so much work and so much fun. They are delightful, even with the little bumps we encounter on the road.

 

So as someone who HAS raised kids to adulthood successfully, I say that it is the parents' responsibility to teach them right from wrong and that they are ACCOUNTABLE for those children until they reach legal adulthood. In this if the teens concerned have been found to be responsible for the vandalism, etc. their parents should be accountable to defraying any cost concerned with that - potentially up to an including the cost of the security patrols. If it made everyone try just a little harder to figure out where their kids were it would be a lesson well learned.

When choices made have repurcussions when you get them wrong, you tend to be a little more thoughtful in choosing. Too many people - and therefore their children - around here think that isn't so and shouldn't ever be so for them. It's why people drive the way they do and act the way they do when 'served' in restaurants, etc. I elected to live here and love the place, but every week I see an example of someone with an extraordinary sense of 'entitlement' behaving in an obnoxious way and it saddens me.

So now what do all those parents' who are running for cover behind the "you don't know because you haven't been there" defense have to say?

 

What's your point? I never said that if kids make mistakes that the parents shouldn't be accountable. I accept that if my kids make mistakes that I will be held accountable to their mistakes, and my kids will be accountable to me. That is part of the responsibility that comes with being a parent and I accept that willingly.

I just bristle when I hear parents of little kids, or even better, people who have no kids, telling me I am doing a crappy job of raising my kids if I don't know where they are every second of the day, or if they make a mistake. So far, my kids have gotten to the age they are without any major catastrophes. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this continues and that they remember the values I've taught them when they go out into the world.

 

As someone who doesn't have kids, I would never criticize someone who has them. My parents raised 5 kids and now that we are all at least in our upper 30's, I think they did one hell of a job raising us. Trust me, we were not all angels (4 of us had the cops come to the house looking for us), but none of us killed anyone or anything like that. We all did our share of night swimming, TPing houses, speeding in cars and walking around town in the middle of the night, but that didn't make us bad kids. It actually made us quite normal. I'm sure there were some who thought my parents were doing/did a terrible job raising us and never kept us under control, but how much about my family did they really know?

The parents are not always to blame. I certainly don't hold my parents responsible for any of the stupid things I did as a youth, but I give them full credit for the person I turned out to be. I did those childish things on my own and usually without my parents knowledge. If a kid gets caught sneaking into the pool or throwing stuff in it, then they should be punished. If there is vandalism (breaking windows, destruction of property, etc...), the parents should be held responsible if the child is under 18, but if the kid (adult) is 18 or older, they're on their own

 

You think that is exclusive to The Broadlands???


Also, you ever think that your children may have done things that you have no knowledge of because they never got caught??? Don't be so quick to think you know all your teens did. I know my parents didn't.

 

As for the topic of this thread, I say congratulations to the HOA for putting in place measures that have stopped the vandalism. It's a shame that homeowner's fees have had to go for a security company.

 

it's called an "attractive nuisance"- live sompelace where nice things are accessible and SOMEONE will mess with it. i'm fine with HOA fees securing the great amenities the HOA supports.

 

I'm glad we are all starting to see a difference with the security firms and thier help in monitoring our community. I have talked to many of you who are interested in actively participating in the Neighborhood watch program to help augment the patrols services. I am putting together a more formal calendar of residents who want to walk or drive around the community and the times that will be covered. If you want to get involoved in this please let me know when you are avialable and when you are interested in patrolling or walking.

Also, many of you have been asking about security cameras, etc and those are being looked in to.

Please don't forget that the next NW meeting is on July 18 at 7:30 in the Nature Center. Hope to see you there.

 

1984.

 

Ok, can we end this thred now...? Peace to all

 

Just wanted to remind you all that our next Neighborhood Watch meeting is this Wednesday night (July 18) at 7:30 in the Nature Center. Please try to attend as I have asked Deputy Leydig to speak about handling solicitors and have asked the Patrol company to attend to answer any questions you all may have about community security. Hope to see you all there...

 

Ah, we don't need Neighborhood Watch.
Broadlands is like 'Pleasantville'.