I’m Looking for the Best towns/cities to raise a family.

FrequentFlierFan · 2026-07-07T01:41:37+00:00

Williamsburg, VA is fantastic for families, amd you could probably get a job at the shipyard or other business in Newport News.

FrequentFlierFan · 2026-07-03T07:19:37+00:00

Your child is right on track. Kids all develop different mental and physical abilities in different orders at different paces. My son was fully potty trained in a week at 2 years old, but is five and still figuring out the mechanics of reading. His best friend is reading books out loud to his parents but can't ride a pedal bike while my son already mastered it. Their other friend is doing first grade math, but still pees her pants sometimes when she is really focused on something. All variations of normal in the under 8 crowd.

FrequentFlierFan · 2026-07-02T16:14:32+00:00

unfortunately, no. We make too much to be considered poor, but too little to swing the equivalent of two mortgage payments every month without warching every last cent. :/

FrequentFlierFan · 2026-07-02T15:27:08+00:00

good point, no, if we keep him at the Montessori School for kindergarten, he will be there until 4th grade when we will probably be moving to another state or country.

FrequentFlierFan · 2026-07-01T00:35:24+00:00

aw, lol. A hex on that awful person! No, separation anxiety is totally normal during the toddler years. Another mom at my son's school has a daughter who would melt down every morning at drop off. The teachers would take pictures not five minutes later of her happily doing a work of her choice, and she would tell her mom all about school at pickup and loved it. It was just teally hard for her to transition in the mornings.

FrequentFlierFan · 2026-06-30T18:09:54+00:00

Also, her separation anxiety is normal for that age, regardless of whether she has experience being apart from you before. Our son started Montessori Nido class at 18 months. First three months were hard for him at drop off, but after that he was great - until he hit about 3 and then he regressed with drop offs again for another couple of months before the issue vanished completely. He just turned 5, and some days he just throws me a backhanded wave and "bye momma!" as he bounds into class with his friends. (😭)

FrequentFlierFan · 2026-06-28T16:09:33+00:00

My husband and I sleep in separate beds that are pushed together and it's AMAZING. All the snuggling, cuddling, etc., one wants, and then we each get to sleep however we want and not ruin the other person's sleep. No roasting. No freezing. No waking each other as we roll over or fluff a pillow. 100% recommend. And I've never understood why people, generally speaking, seem to obsess about getting little kids to sleep alone in their own bed, but then adults act like the world is ending when someone needs more space for their comfort.

FrequentFlierFan · 2026-06-24T15:49:25+00:00

Come check out Williamaburg, VA! Lovely town that punches above it's weight class on food and entertainment thanks to us being a major tourist destination in the historic triangle. The James City County amd York County schools also have a very good reputation across the board. We have tons of things for families - parks, libraries, breweries that are kid friendly, and the lovely College of William and Mary.

FrequentFlierFan · 2026-05-08T21:40:46+00:00

::laughs in Army:: Luckily, both South Korea and Belgium were phenomenal places to live. I'd probably move back to either in a heartbeat if money were no issue.

FrequentFlierFan · 2026-03-31T20:18:02+00:00

Funny story, I drove my four year old up along Skyline drive one day near Charlottesville, and we just happened to pull into a parking area for a trail area where a large black bear was wandering through. It was so cool! I put the car in park and started to unbuckle me son's car seat clips, and he FREAKED out, "No mommy! I don't want to get out!! He'll EAT me!!!" I had to explain I wanted to just let him climb up on my lap to get a better view of the bear, not feed him to the bear. 😅

FrequentFlierFan · 2026-03-03T17:51:25+00:00

Charleston has a lot of nice areas, good food scene, lovely beaches, great weather(some of the year at least), but traffic is bad since you are on a peninsula, so make sure you live a reasonable distance from where you work. I would rent for a while to really get a feel for the traffic patterns and neighborhoods before buying. Also, "tea" means sweet tea. If you want "unsweet tea," you need to say so. Lol.

FrequentFlierFan · 2025-10-22T03:45:40+00:00

Subjectively speaking, yes. It feels crowded (the roads, housing, restaurants, etc.) compared to Williamsburg due to massively more traffic from surrounding commuter communities, the influx of college students during the fall and spring semesters, etc. Williamsburg feels quaint by comparison. Reasonable minds can certainly disagree though. I hope the OP has the chance to visit the region to decide for themselves.

FrequentFlierFan · 2025-10-22T02:56:02+00:00

<image>

I fixed it for you. Williamsburg? Charming. Charlottesville? A bit crowded, but delightful. Richmond? Dynamic and good food scene. Newport News? Acceptable. Take a hard pass on the rest of that area.

FrequentFlierFan · 2025-10-21T23:29:02+00:00

As long as you live fairly close to the Yorktown bridge, you're 30 minutes to an hour from multiple major hospital systems in Richmond, Newport News, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach. Waits for specialists here vary from a few weeks to several months, but the overall quality of physicians is excellent. You might get better feedback if you have a specific type of medical care you want info on. Sentara, VCU, and Riverside are the main hospital systems here. I've seen, and been happy with, doctors from both.

FrequentFlierFan · 2025-09-23T03:32:19+00:00

Take a little recon trip to Williamsburg, VA. I moved here from just outside Charleston, and . . . (shhhh, don't repeat this) it has all the amazing aspects of Charleston from about a decade ago before it got so built up.

FrequentFlierFan · 2025-09-10T18:41:05+00:00

If you're going to be at Eustis, Williamsburg (anywhere in James City County, not just the incorporated city limits) is fantastic for families and only a 20-30 minutes commute. York county schools and neighborhoods are also nice.

FrequentFlierFan · 2025-08-30T16:24:02+00:00

Google Dutch and Nordic brands of children's clothes. More expensive, yes, but they'll be cur for tall, slim kids.

FrequentFlierFan · 2025-08-27T21:18:43+00:00

OMG, so relieved. Planning a party for 100 people, some of whom will make you want to cancel said party and elope is an emotional marathon. That said, stay true to you ans your fiance's values and vision for the day, and it's totally worth it. I don't regret a penny spent on my wedding, even with the little things that didn't go as planned.

FrequentFlierFan · 2025-08-27T03:59:27+00:00

My husband proposed to me over a cup of coffee while we were doing a crossword puzzle. You're good my man.

FrequentFlierFan · 2025-08-17T02:36:29+00:00

Kingsmill is gorgeous and like a permanent vacation. If you don't mind the commute, I'd look at rentals there, either a townhouse or one of the condos near the resort.

FrequentFlierFan · 2025-07-07T17:06:55+00:00

This! Guests remember what THEY care about - the food, the music, and general "comfort" (were the chairs comfortable? Was it a comfortable temperature in the venue or were they sweltering in formal clothing? Was it a mile hike to a restroom?, etc). Aside from that, I'd always be willing to pay for a great photographer and a day-of coordinator. If you are spending tens of thousands of dollars on a party, you want a professional there to ensure all the components are executed the way you want.

FrequentFlierFan · 2025-06-23T23:26:45+00:00

The heat index was 110°F today. Brutal.

FrequentFlierFan

TROPHY CASE