Effects of open sky or flowing water on children

[aparent]

  We're house hunting and are basically

now looking at 2 places. One, which I

will call "Sky." is on the side of one of

the highest hills in the area. Most of the

land is cleared, including around the house,

revealing a whole lot of sky and views of

the surrounding hills that are roughly at the

same height that we would be on. The view

reveals the sky above and the land around;

there's no looking down at lower areas.

  The other house, which I will call "Water" 

sits among tall trees and its about 100 yards

from a  large river. One can see the river from

the house as the trees around it are on the

sides away from the river. There's little sky

but there's is a whole lot of water constantly,

slowly, flowing past.

   I wonder what people think the affect "Sky"

or "Water" would have on children. What

affect would growing up in a place where there's little

but you, the earth below and sky versus a growing up

in a place shared with nearby trees, the earth below 

and a large river.

[EarthRootsStarSoul]

I vote for water.  There is a small river right behind my house and my boys LOVE playing in it.  We have caught fish, frogs, toads, crayfish, snails, clams, and turtles there.  We watch ducks, geese, snowy egrets, various hawks, muskrats, and great blue herons.  We even see bald eagles every once in a while.  The kids have manipulated the river rocks to change how the water flows (slightly).  It's shallow enough to walk around in and cross by foot.  We examine animal tracks in the mud.  We listen to frogs and toads singing at night through our open bedroom windows. 

The only drawback is the difficulty of keeping them indoors when they have do to homework! 

[rubidoux]

I would say water except the idea of it really scares me.  

[DoubleDouble]

The "Water" - is it a small clean river? Or a big, dirty river?

Another thing to consider - will your house be at flood risk? with the changing weather patterns, it seems like floods are everywhere.

[stik]

I'd go for sky over water - fewer safety issues.

[meemee]

i have lived 50 ft from a wide big river since dd was 3. it does not scare me. 

it would be a hard choice for me. for dd i'd choose water. water is healing for her. playing with water lowers her temperature, reduces her pain and if seh is not feeling well, makes her feel better.

for me seeing the sky is a huge upliftment for my spirit. 

however for both of us - oh those trees to climb on. we would both LOVE that. 

however what's more important is is there land to walk around there. we were always back there hiking and playing. 

[serenbat]

having dealt with ''effects" that do effect those near water-NEVER AGAIN! 

only sky

and we were more than 50 ft from the river in an area that NEVER flood and we had 3 "once in a hundred year" floods in 4 years

sometimes you don't think of what can effect you when the river floods in other areas and you are not even real close

[meemee]

oh i forgot. we get those floods about once in 10 years. that is why our garages and basements are not filled with stuff. when we get a flood warning we move thinks quickly. even the cars.

and when the floods come dd and i go on a canoe ride - and one year we picked up these floating light bulbs and to our delight they all worked. 

but this was a big wide river. 

however it cant imagine either sky or water being harmful when you are not surrounded by asphalt and buildings. as long as you come across people once in a while. 

its nice to live on top of a hill - if you will constantly have a car. yikes. i cant think of walking up and down on a regular basis - for a city girl. 

[funkymamajoy]

Personally, I would never live near open bodies of water with small children.

[Super~Single~Mama]

I would choose Sky for the same reasons people posted above. Especially if the river is big and powerful. Water and children TERRIFY me (I grew up on a lake, I loved it, but visiting my parents with my DS can be a little stressful).

[stik]

I would strongly recommend that parents not take their pre-teens (or anyone else) canoeing on rivers that are in flood.  So I guess I'm seconding my vote for "sky" here.  

[Honey693]

Isn't there any other info about these houses than sky vs water?  Like price, size, proximity to schools and work?  We're house hunting right now and that's what I'm looking for.

[Wolfcat]

I think it totally depends on the child. For an idea of how each would affect your LO, check out their astrological signs in their natal chart and do an analysis from there. You can also look at their Chinese sign (particularly the element for that year) and see how they fall on the creation/destruction circles for each element.

[aparent]

  Thanks for the great advice and cautions.

We've gone back and forth about just about

everything having to do with the houses and

I recently recalled the feeling I had being at

the 2 places for the first time. At Sky it was

like I was suddenly taller and breathing more

deeply. At Water I was drawn to the water

and a feeling of quiet or something similar to

being by the ocean settled in me.

   Besides perhaps more practical considerations

what affect do people think Sky or Water (if it

could somehow be totally safe) would have

on little spirits or personalities growing near

them or if Sky or Water were quiet, constant

coparents for years in the children's lives what

affect would you think they would have? 

[Imakcerka]

I grew up in the valley with the mountains on one side, the ocean on the other and numerous rivers and lakes all around me.  I'm pretty sure I had it all.  I can say the sky is healing but the water is peaceful.  I would have such a hard time choosing.  If I do get the job of my dreams on the islands of the Strait of Juan De Fuca... I'll be looking for a spot close to the water so that I can watch the whales go by in the spring and have the open sky for my spirit.

[serenbat]

affect would you think they would have? 

IF you are dealing with all the "issues" that can arise being near water (loss of power, loss of clean drinking water, mold, swamp area, moving belonging, being out of your house or not having it directly effect your house but others, debris left behind by devastating flooding, loss of fishing area - recreational activity, etc) - it turns you off real quick! lots of negative energy

IMO

[meemee]

Originally Posted by aparent 

   Besides perhaps more practical considerations

what affect do people think Sky or Water (if it

could somehow be totally safe) would have

on little spirits or personalities growing near

them or if Sky or Water were quiet, constant

coparents for years in the children's lives what

affect would you think they would have? 

i dont think you could predict one or the other. as society is right now and your own family traditions.

for instance with the native american tribe in my area - sadly they are away from water right now, but water was part of their tradition. so they had rituals in the water and outside. rituals to mourn, rituals to 'recover'... if you start your own ritual that you do regularly then there is something to that tradition and the place you are in. you dont have to be religious. just whatever your spirit calls you out to.

some children are attracted to one type, but if a connection is made with the opposite then they connect to it.

if sky is your choice and you tell your children stories about john muir and others and make the forests come alive to them through your stories (not reading from a book) then they are giving them an experience of the forest that they will treasure all their lives. i did not ever go near the mountains when i was a child, but i read many books on them and that's how i connected with them. thru poetry, travelogues and paintings/photos. i didnt get to go to the mountains till i was middle age but the moment i stepped foot on it, i was home. it uplifted my spirits in a way nothing can. i dont like the beach. however we did go to a beach where we had to scramble down and then up again. the beach itself didnt mean much to me, but the scrambling up and down the very very steep slope did.

its the same with dd. she is a water horse and naturally loves no LOVES the water. it is a deep connection for her. BUT she has discovered mountains through me. and she feels a deep connection with them too. and usually do find some water there. like for instance we hike thru difficult steep high desert and then hang by the lake there. while i stay at the lake dd goes rock climbing with my pals and runs them ragged.

we have both had near death experiences in the river but it has not made us afraid of it.

every place has its 'place'. there is something to a city awakening in the morning. at break of dawn. there is a connection there.

so honestly now that i come to think of it, really waht is best for our child? any place you can bring the magic. doesnt have to be sky or water.

in fact i have helped dd find the specialness in city life - in crowded city life - so that when she needs to go into hibernation from her adult stressed out life, she can find it right there. she doesnt need to go anywhere else.

however as the protector of the future earth she has to be connected to nature otherwise how will she ever be able to protect it? 
 

[Snapdragon]

Can you post pictures? It is hard for me to envision the different spaces from the description.. Is the water one closed in? Dark and shady?  what are the yards like in both places? I don't think there is one answer regarding if living with open sky or flowing water are better because there are so many other factors that contribute to the energetics of the place. I totally get what you are asking about energetics- I think in those terms a lot too. but I am just not getting a clear feeling about either place based on the description so far.  It is interesting to me though, Can you give more description of the yards and how much light each palce has-? Is it a yard, wooded,? thanks

[widemouthedfrog]

I think that children often learn to love what they know - so whatever you bring to their childhood, that will be a place where they feel safe and connected - unless as some of the PPs mentioned, you end up having a hard experience from living near water.

I love wet places and grew up in a rainforest surrounded by mountains.

I would have a hard time living in an open place with no water or mountains.

I think that both places can inspire creative play and awe in children, it just differs.

I'm in awe of open skies and also in awe of pounding rivers.
 

I'd take any fears you might have about the environments in each place into account. If your child will grow up feeling worried that he/she isn't safe near the water, then I'd prefer sky. We chose a place to live that feels very safe. Although it might not have all of the natural elements that I might desire, it has natural spaces and I do not worry about my child's well-being in those spaces, so she can feel comfortable exploring without me. For me, that was the most important element - our positive interaction with that environment.

[hildare]

Originally Posted by funkymamajoy 

Personally, I would never live near open bodies of water with small children.

we do.  we treat it like one would treat a highway.  i don't see why it's that different.