Something for the tweenies?

I don't live in Broadlands, so I don't have much idea about the community features. But I visit this forum because its a very active and useful forum.

Here are my suggestions for tweenies:

1) Due to weather being so hot these days, Ping-pong tournaments can be conducted during day time for different age groups, so they can stay indoor.
(I assume Community center has ping-pong tables, if not how much does it cost, $100-$200 per table)

2) Pool Table tournaments, if available in the community center (again indoor during day time)

3) Chess tournaments for different age group kids (again indoor during day time)

4) Make one day of the week as Movie day, in community center where all kids can assemble and watch movies in a big screen (popcorn/drinks may be served)

---PS: We had the above four in an apartment community in Chicago where I lived....not tournament though

5) During evening hours, ball game/tennis tournaments can be conducted


just my 2 cents....

 

Well I appreciate your 2 cents and your positive suggestions.

 

I think it would be great to have facilities which offer not only activities for teens but bring more families together too.

The suggestions mentioned are great: skate park, an indoor facility with ping pong, arcade games. What about batting cages? mini-golf? bowling? Some companies will actually donate the equipment. Is there room/space for a soft sand volleyball court?

 

As a mom of a teen, I actually know most of the kids that are hanging out at the Sunoco and they are, for the most part, honor students and really great kids. As for graffiti, I haven't seen it and I live really close to the station. The worst I've seen is trash strewn about.

All they want to do is get a drink or a snack and hang with their friends. I don't see anything wrong with that. I certainly did it when I was a kid. There's nothing disrespectful about it. They're just being kids.

The Sunoco, Pizzeria and Quiznos don't complain when the kids are spending their money, I assume. In fact, my teen is a much better customer to those places than I am. I can get in my car and leave the neighborhood to get gas or a sandwich. He can't.

 

Just wanted to check in to see what "y'all" thought of our ideas for the 4H Community Clubs for the Broadlands area? Fall is coming soon and we would like to help with clubs if your association and residents are interested in pursuing this 4H club idea.

Any questions email or post queries on forum; and I will respond as soon as possible. Thanks.

 

Agnesk-
Thanks for the positive outlook, but don't keep your head in the sand. There have been several fires started by teens (they were seen running away and that's how the age group was determined). The graffitti is in the stairwell next to the pizza place. This is a popular hang-out. I had mentioned it to the Commercial Property Association, so maybe it's been cleaned up by now.

 

Oh for crying out loud. I can assure you that my head is not in the sand, Cliff. My kids are this age and I know those kids. I never said they are all angels, but most of them are great kids. You've got a teen son. You probably know some of these kids too.

This neighborhood is constantly criticizing our young teens, many of whom are good, decent kids that I would and have had in my home. You shouldn't paint all kids with a broad brush as being troublemakers just because a few kids have caused problems. I am aware of one of the fires, Cliff. Did you know the kid who started it doesn't live in our neighborhood at all?

Now that I've read this post, I stop at Sunoco, Wachovia and the Pizzeria parking lot almost daily and check it out. I'm not seeing the graffiti (who says that was our kids anyway - Broadlands is hardly insulated anymore) and I'm not seeing anyone causing trouble. Just a handful of kids talking and hanging out. I sure did my share of that when I was their age, and I was not a deliquent.

Quite frankly, the Pizzeria, Quiznos and Sunoco are always glad to take my son's money when he buys stuff from them, which is almost every day. If they want his dollars then they are going to have to be somewhat tolerant if he, GASP, actually wants to stick around and eat it.

Finally, most of you on this board have young kids. You will be where we parents of teens are very soon (it happens sooner than you know). You will want your kids looked at with a little more respect than you have been regarding our kids.

 

When our son is a teenager I will want him looked at with some respect IF HE EARNS IT!

As for kids hanging out, yeah, it is a generalization but a valid one that the odds are they WILL do something they shouldn't sooner or later. Whether they perform an iilicit act themselves or view it and condone it.

How do you know the person who started the fire was outside of Broadlands? Did your child tell you? Did you notify the police?

And as for your not seeing anyone causing trouble it is because THEY DON"T WANT YOU TO! Teens may not be smart enough to stay out of trouble but they are smart enough to know not to get caught!

 

Since you seem to know who started one of the fires, have the proper authorities been contacted, so they can deal with the situation?

 

Hey, I saw some middle age people hanging out across from the Sunoco yesterday. Looked like some sort of group activity. I sure hope that doesn't turn into an incubator for social disobedience.

 

Agnesk-
The graffitti was on the right side of the wall at the top of the first stair landing.
Yes, I do know lots of the kids there. I also know "good" kids who were seen stealing a bike. When confronted, child denied it and parent refused to believe their child would do it. After then telling the child the next call was to the police, the bike showed up.

Back to the point of the thread, what amenities for teens would you like to see here? Will it eliminate all problems? No. But if the Developer is willing to put some money back into the community to try and help minimize the problem, we should be happy to take it.

 

Yes I think we all can agree teens like to hang out and be that kids, tweens, teens etc they just want something to do. The whole point of Cliff's origional post is the developer has realized these older kids are looking for something else besides the ammenities that are provided. The population of Broadlands is getting older what use to work when all these teens were 5 does not work now that they are 15 but while we still have a developer to foot the bill for additional buildings or ammenities why not see what else these kids would like. I know in the past the recreation committe did movies nights and had video games and board games and foosball tables etc for the teens and we did not get a great turn out. I am not sure if it was just bad nights, or if something was missing or what so Cliff and I would like to know what do these kids want? Is there something that we the HOA (at the developers expense) could provide that they would actually want to do? I think the biggest difference now is the little kids are just happy to play anything but teens are starting to have things they like and don't like. Just as we adults can not all agree on the same movie, same favorite places to eat, same anything the teens tastes and wants are starting to change too so just giving them a place to "play" no longer works. What ideas do you have tht work for the girls and the boys, for the geeks and the jocks? I do not ever expect we will cover it all but if there is something that would work that they would enjoy hanging out in, on etc then lets see if we can get that for them.

Staci

 

"How do you know the person who started the fire was outside of Broadlands? Did your child tell you? Did you notify the police?"

My child did tell me who it was, and yes, the police were notified. They investigated and talked to the parents of the each of the kids who were involved. All of those kids were punished pretty harshly by their parents.

Fine, you can look at every teen as a future trouble maker, but I refuse to do that. My point is that just because a teenager is hanging around Sunoco, doesn't mean they are causing trouble. They might just be hanging out with their friends.

Just because they are there hanging out, doesn't mean they are unsupervised or that the parents don't know or care where they are. If there was a teen place to hang out, by all means, that's where they'd be, but there isn't. And if those establishments are willing to take their dollars, they should be aware that the teenagers may just want to actually hang around and to enjoy their purchases.

 

There are also kids that hang out on top of the big hill across from the Sunoco. When my nine year old son and his friends went up there to play, they were cussed at and told to leave.

 

Why don't we ask the teens in the neighborhood what they like. Maybe the developer or HOA could ask teens to volunteer to help create the place they would like to hang out at.

 

Great idea. Do you know how to get a hold of them to ask them? Would they come to a meeting to help plan something? I am asking because I don't know my kids are still young so any suggestions would be great

Staci

 

At first I thought the idea of giving these Broadlands kids yet another amenity was ridiculous. Good God, what more do they need. But then I asked my Tween for some ideas on what she would like to see in Broadlands that would appeal to her and her friends. She had a couple of good ideas and thought a get-together with the developer was an awesome idea. Sort of a Tween summit. Knock around some ideas, ect. If this meeting becomes a reality, count us in and we'll bring at least 5 other tweens with us.

 

I have two boys I can bring and probably some of their friends as well.

 

What exactly is the age of a tween???

 

I would think 11-12 years old - teen is 13 years old