Can’t help you there. Having worked in higher ed, I can see how kids end up going off to college and feeling lost because they’ve only experienced their own family’s rules and structure.

Maybe they don’t even know it’s OK to ask.

There were *discussions* at the bus stop on Monday.

One of the local grandmothers rolled her eyes and said “If your kids don’t experience bad parents, how will they appreciate you?” This was seen as boomer madness.

No kids, but there really seems to be a thing in my neighborhood about kids don’t go to a friend’s house unless the parents go along or the parents know each other very well. Can’t risk your kids being anywhere with parenting standards lower than your own.

That’s the look of somebody watching you from the pier as your car sinks, with you handcuffed to the steering wheel, beneath the surface. And all she’s wondering is if that Chinese joint will still be open on her way home.

And this housing cost increase is in a place where the public schools are only "above average. Surrounding towns much more highly ranked. When I lived there almost all the kids went public, now in that neighborhood it's maybe half.

Interesting note. Checked population growth as proxy for housing growth. My hometown grew 50% since 1970. Brookline 5%. Some is Brookline already built out, but also huge growth of DC. Some of it WWII Quonset huts torn down for high rise condos. Also military base closed & became neighborhood.

I’ve got a nice, close in suburb, NoVa, example for you. House I grew up in, dad federal worker, 10 years in, SAHM. They paid $27,000 in 1965, according to Zillow it’s now $1.3M.

Some of this is that suburbs that weren’t “expensive” are now outrageous.

2/2

To say this for the 50th time, for anyone who doesn't know:

Three young conservative lawyers were part of the GOP "Florida recount" team that led to GWB becoming president, via Bush-v-Gore.

They were: John Roberts. Brett Kavanaugh. Amy Coney Barrett.

Small world.