Wow! Just came from visiting an intentional community of 7 adults and 2 little kids. This isn't some fringe set-up in a remote area. It's just down the road in a bustling part of the city.
There are 3 houses between them, a shed that serves as a woodworking shop and bike storage for everyone.
There's a communal vegetable garden, and two vehicles that the families share. They eat and pray together once a week.

They work on projects together that help the community-one of the women has started a community garden for the local neighbourhood. Another does a bit of guerilla gardening on the side where she's planed native species, and fruit trees in abandoned sites and even behind the railroad tracks behind her house.
These folks are in their mid 30s; and this is the way of the future; living in community.
I felt really inspired by what I saw, especially the huge benefits to having many adults in the lives of kids. I have always adhered to the African teaching "it takes a village to raise a child." It does. And I want my village.
Imagine having that other pair of hands around to help; those extra pair of eyes. That extra bit of love. Fact is, our kids need more than we can give them; they need other caring, loving adults in their lives that aren't mum and dad. Even just one will do the trick.

And i believe that if there were more such adults in kids lives, we would all be treating one another better. Kids wouldn't be so quick to disrespect; parents would be more considerate of their kids; adults in the house would be more thoughtful talking to one another. I think it would be a natural way of keeping things in check.

Do any of you wonderful readers have any such experience with this sort of set up? Drop us a word or two if you do!
at 8:53 am Hmmm - I'm assuming you;re talking about my community in this post? Oddly, I don't think I know you ... but maybe I do. I live in the front half of the duplex - I'm the one with the kids :)
[null, null, {"document_url": "http://radiofreeschool.blogspot.com/2010/04/intentional-community.html", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yQe_QeWlBt0/S8Rq2-9By2I/AAAAAAAASlw/NXXFibqoaGI/s320/vegetable-garden.jpg", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yQe_QeWlBt0/S8Rq2-9By2I/AAAAAAAASlw/NXXFibqoaGI/s320/vegetable-garden.jpg", "formatted_filename": "vegetable garden"}, null, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://radiofreeschool.blogspot.com/2010/04/intentional-community.html", "unformatted_src": "http://www.linkwithin.com/pixel.png", "src": "http://www.linkwithin.com/pixel.png", "formatted_filename": "pixel", "alt_text": "Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger..."}, null, {"document_url": "http://radiofreeschool.blogspot.com/2010/04/intentional-community.html", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BQ33C_pCVjY/UtLPqEhWetI/AAAAAAAATuY/NEWuew9R1K0/s250/Natural_Born_Learner_Cover_for_Kindle.jpg", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BQ33C_pCVjY/UtLPqEhWetI/AAAAAAAATuY/NEWuew9R1K0/s250/Natural_Born_Learner_Cover_for_Kindle.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Natural Born Learner Cover for Kindle", "alt_text": "Natural Born Learners: Kindle", "rendered_width": 167, "rendered_height": 250}, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null]