Certain conveniences become more important when a family adds an infant. I have noticed that many people who are still BC (before children) do not anticipate how much these conveniences may mean to them, once the pregnancy advances and in the first few years of their child’s life.

What house features benefit parents ?

Good access to front door.

Houses or condos with a lot of stairs are inconvenient for everyone when snow is on the ground and whenever you are bringing things in and out of the house. One of my clients was sensitive to exterior access because in his current condo, he says, there are four doors between him and the kitchen. He finds it very annoying on grocery day. Stairs and multiple locked doors become more of a nuisance for women carrying a child late in pregnancy and for any adult carrying a baby or youngster.

Good access to the back yard.

In many two- and three-family condo buildings, the bigger units are upstairs. BC, that makes it inconvenient to grill in the yard. Carrying platters up and down the stairs can be bothersome. But, once there are children in the picture, the stairs make supervision of children from inside the house impossible until the children are somewhat older.

In single-family houses, the same can be true if there is no door near the kitchen that leads out to the yard. BC, that interferes with grilling and outdoor entertaining. With children, it is hard to see what they are up to if the yard is on basement level.

Bathrooms

Small bathrooms are a mixed blessing for people with children. Having a place to sit near the tub is a big plus, even if it means sitting on the toilet. The big thing is that parents of young children need a tub. Having a bathroom with a tub near the children’s bedrooms will save hours of chasing wet children around the house.

Laundry

BC, having in-unit laundry in a condo or a hook-up in a house is a must for buyers. It seems like private laundry is an assumed right of property owners. Parents not only want laundry facilities; they want convenient laundry facilities. Young parents really love the second floor laundry rooms. They like the first floor rooms. They demand at least a clean basement laundry area.

Finding a Good School

Unless you home school your children, what happens at school may be just as important to their development as what happens at home. So, what do you do to get the best education you can afford for your children?

Public information:

1. The Department of Education publishes district profiles. To open a report card, write the town or district into the box for “Search for your Report Card.” Then use the hyperlinks below that to see the information. Within this data, you will find information about not only test scores, but stats on the qualifications of the teachers, socio-economic data about the students.
2. Many, but not all, school districts keep a web page for their school data. Check for one in the towns you are considering. Do a web search for the term “school report card.”

How to use the school report card:

The raw test scores will be higher in those higher-priced school districts. That’s just the way it is. The public information gives a picture of who the students are, and how they are learning.

Local opinion-makers:

Boston Magazine publishes an annual list of the best schools in the region.  This list drives perception significantly in our area

Virtual communities:

Many towns have list-servs (or email groups), Facebook pages, and Google groups for parents in the towns in this area. Some towns are more active than others. Find the parent’s list, like this one; I found it by a simple web search on “arlington parents list ma.” Ask pointed questions; get answers.

Like any other virtual community experience, this takes some time. Just like there is always one awful review at Trip Advisor, there will be one miserable parent. You need to ask good questions and you also have to read past the responder’s agenda. You will find the trends, positive and negative, in each town.

Niche collect public, plus parent and student opinion information.

Public School Review collects public information and tracks safety issues in schools. Their blog focuses on safety and good parenting.

Discernment, or, what is important for your child?

Like any other parenting decision, the best school for your child may be the most academic, goal-oriented, high test-scoring high school. Or it may not be. The size of the schools, the number of children in the class, the extra-curricular activities available, may affect your child more than the number of AP offerings in the high school.