In our culture, it is usual for the kids to play outside where they meet the kids in the neighborhood that would become their playmates. But it would depend on what kind of neighborhood you have because the children will be influenced by the playmates and the environment as well. That is one reason why some young parents would prefer to live in a nice village even if they cannot really afford the place. They are after the environment.
That's a good point. When it comes to children, the friends they choose to make are largely based on the environment and who's immediately available to them. This is true even if they don't share many of the same values and interests. It's very unlike adult friendships. Adults still often make friends based on environment (such as office co-workers) but at the same time, a majority of new friendships start after being introduced by a mutual connection from another person. Our circles become smaller and we're more selective with who we let in. Creating a good environment will certainly affect the connections our children make.
I also noticed that, the neighborhood and company of a child is quite important in molding his personality. It really plays a huge part in the development of a child, so they must be exposed to good influences.
Unfortunately, most kids always listen to friends and not parents. I mean not too long ago, most of us here, our parents were talking about the same thing we are talking about right now. Some found out that a good neighborhood doesn't really translate to good influence. Kids in "good" neighborhoods are being tested by the same powers that are testing kids in the so called "bad" neighborhoods. All you can do as a parent is give good advice and hope to The Creator that they listen. Show them the pathway of light and let them lead the way. I know this is not what most people would like to hear, but it is the TRUTH.
The only difference between a good and bad neighborhood is the quality of the good or bad that money can buy. Or not. The best example I can give is drugs. When I was growing up there wasn't nearly the amount of different drugs that there are now. With that change of options come different price ranges. There are expensive drugs and there are cheap drugs, and it's not necessarily because of the quality of a certain drug. That still play a part of course, but now there's more to the equation. What this means is that the rich kids will use rich drugs, and the poor kids will use poor drugs. But at the end of the day, a drug is a drug. There are many poor neighborhoods, or villages, that have quality people with morals, standards and a strong desire for their children to have it better than the parents. There are, of course, some people there who are not like that. There are many rich neighborhoods where some of the residents are not like that, while some are. Money does not equate to being good or bad. Most people though, still think that if you have money you have better standards than those who don't. Based on my own experiences in life, I would argue the opposite.
It all comes down to the type of person you are. There are those who think that being bad is 'cool' and there are those who prefer the opposite.
True. We also advocate for children to play outside more often. But the interaction can either be beneficial or detrimental to the overall of the child. But that brings us back to the parent. The parents should be able to nurture the child in such a way that when s/he sees a friend doing something bad, s/he should be able to speak up, irrespective of the environment. It's a tough parenting approach, but the only one that will save your child from the vulgarity of the society today.
You have the point. Playmates from the neighborhood generally have bad manners especially in a secluded or slum area. They will influence the child of their disrespectful attitude. Our children before when they're kids, we never allow them to go outside house and mingle with their peers. Instead we bring them to the house of their nearest relatives and they play there. Or we may invite some of their friends at home.
