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Moved here when our son was four he is now in middle school and no issues. As long as you do you job of being a good mom and dad you can raise kids in Vegas same as any other city.
I was born and raised in Vegas to the age of 18, whence I promptly left ASAP.
Growing up in Vegas is difficult to describe. Most (not all) of us went to college, got degrees, became teachers and all the very nice and normal things our nice and normal parents wanted. We were involved in sports, healthy activities, had nice homes, and lots of excellent parental modeling. However, Vegas IS unique in that, when kids are bored (as they get anywhere), there are more shifty, shady activities to get involved in...even for the valedictorians, perfect students, good clean children, who all learn to be be quite slick at lying to parents about what they really do, see and learn there.
The effects and aftershocks of growing up in Las Vegas have damaged and lingered with every single solitary person I know from there. Not all of it is obvious. Many of us are polished professionals with graduate degrees all over the US and Europe now. but...
We from Lost Veguts call it Las Vegas disease, or Vegas-itis, something to escape and try to heal from. No one we meet in any other place where my friends or I have moved quite comprehend. It wasn't "lucky" or "exciting" to live there. Perhaps it is not really something to explain...more like a feeling, an atmosphere, an experience only a patch of dirt full of bright lights in the middle of nowhere breeds. We refugees collectively try our whole lives to survive it, still. Ask any person who grew up there, starting prior to the age of 10. Please, it's no place to put a child, no matter how "family-friendly" it appears.
i wouldnt move to vegas right now with the current economic situation, mainly because its economy is tourism just like miami, and that is gonna drop, which means vegas will only get worse until the economy gets better. the miami-dade schools are in serious debt right now,and its predicted to only get worse
I was born and raised in Vegas to the age of 18, whence I promptly left ASAP.
Growing up in Vegas is difficult to describe. Most (not all) of us went to college, got degrees, became teachers and all the very nice and normal things our nice and normal parents wanted. We were involved in sports, healthy activities, had nice homes, and lots of excellent parental modeling. However, Vegas IS unique in that, when kids are bored (as they get anywhere), there are more shifty, shady activities to get involved in...even for the valedictorians, perfect students, good clean children, who all learn to be be quite slick at lying to parents about what they really do, see and learn there.
The effects and aftershocks of growing up in Las Vegas have damaged and lingered with every single solitary person I know from there. Not all of it is obvious. Many of us are polished professionals with graduate degrees all over the US and Europe now. but...
We from Lost Veguts call it Las Vegas disease, or Vegas-itis, something to escape and try to heal from. No one we meet in any other place where my friends or I have moved quite comprehend. It wasn't "lucky" or "exciting" to live there. Perhaps it is not really something to explain...more like a feeling, an atmosphere, an experience only a patch of dirt full of bright lights in the middle of nowhere breeds. We refugees collectively try our whole lives to survive it, still. Ask any person who grew up there, starting prior to the age of 10. Please, it's no place to put a child, no matter how "family-friendly" it appears.
Who told you that? You never grew up anywhere else. Which is always the problem. How are you comparing it to elsewhere?
The amazing thing is you think it unique to Las Vegas.
Trust me. Kids that grow up anywhere have that same view...
And actually kids that grow up in rural or very small towns actually have it a lot worse.
When you announce that you all went off to college and became teachers etc. what you demonstrated was how the same it is...
I was born and raised in Indianapolis. I saw worse daily until I turned 18 and joined the Air Force to get away than I ever have seen here. I watch a sister slowly kill herself with a needle and despite all our desperate efforts we could never fully stop her. If finally killed her and I hope she is finally at peace.
Indy isn't a huge town by any means, but I got into major fights there almost monthly, and eventually ended up putting a guy in the hospital (it was a him or me situation, not proud but would do it again). Was offered drugs to buy, had a 13 year old girl offer to have sex with me for $5 when I was 16 (she wanted to buy some joints), and learned how to hot wire a car (never used it) at age 14. I saw my first nude woman at age 9 (mom was taking the money while daughter stripped on top of a RV the night before the Indy 500).
Since finally escaping Indy I have lived in Colorado Springs, Denver, Fairfield/Vacaville CA area, Dayton Ohio, Anchorage, and Honolulu. I haven't had a single experience like the ones I had in Indy since then, and my son who is a senior has only noticed mild things here in Vegas (language and graffiti are his only complaints).
So no matter the city, you will find someone who was scarred by being raised in it. I still have bad dreams about a situation that happened when I was with my girlfriend and got lost downtown. I ran 8 stoplights straight hoping a cop would pull me over, that one someone on my side would have a gun! (long story, let's just say they wanted to remove me from the equation so they could have some "fun").
Don't judge a city by it's image, just like you don't judge a book by it's cover. I live in a great area and don't have any trouble raising kids. Likewise I can get in my truck and drive 30 mins and find an area just like what I grew up in back in Indianapolis. You raise your kids right and in the right area and the name of the city will not matter.
Working in the ER and EMS I see the Vegas most other people do not see.
In my first month in Vegas, in one month I saw more pediatric on pediatric violence than I saw in the 20 years of my career prior combined. I can not count the number of elder and child abuse cases I've been involved in reporting. It is not easy seeing a kid like this.
Meth is epidemic here.
Gang violence has exploded here not just the stuff that's migrated from LA.
Healthcare is about mark ups - not service. Only one facility is native to Las Vegas. Every other one is owned by and outside corporation. Quality Care Nevada -- (http://s103.advocateoffice.com/ - broken link) . In ER's in other states specialty certification as an ER Nurse is highly valued. An example is Virginia which requires hospital trauma centers to have over 50% of their RN's CEN certified to maintain trauma center designation. Most are over 75 %. In the whole city of Las Vegas there are less than 100 of us total.
People will say this is like any other city. I work on the streets and in the ER's. It is not. Healthcare is behind. Violence is increasing. Meth is unabated. In the so called affluent schools the drugs are just more expensive and trendy. I've treated more Ecstasy cases from high schools than high end clubs and strip joints. Seeing a kid who needs a machine to breath after an overdose or drug related accident is not a good experience.
Working in the ER and EMS I see the Vegas most other people do not see.
In my first month in Vegas, in one month I saw more pediatric on pediatric violence than I saw in the 20 years of my career prior combined. I can not count the number of elder and child abuse cases I've been involved in reporting. It is not easy seeing a kid like this.
Meth is epidemic here.
Gang violence has exploded here not just the stuff that's migrated from LA.
Healthcare is about mark ups - not service. Only one facility is native to Las Vegas. Every other one is owned by and outside corporation. Quality Care Nevada -- (http://s103.advocateoffice.com/ - broken link) . In ER's in other states specialty certification as an ER Nurse is highly valued. An example is Virginia which requires hospital trauma centers to have over 50% of their RN's CEN certified to maintain trauma center designation. Most are over 75 %. In the whole city of Las Vegas there are less than 100 of us total.
People will say this is like any other city. I work on the streets and in the ER's. It is not. Healthcare is behind. Violence is increasing. Meth is unabated. In the so called affluent schools the drugs are just more expensive and trendy. I've treated more Ecstasy cases from high schools than high end clubs and strip joints. Seeing a kid who needs a machine to breath after an overdose or drug related accident is not a good experience.
Think very carefully about Vegas. Very carefully.
Just wondering what other cities you have worked in to compare it to?
I was born and raised in Vegas to the age of 18, whence I promptly left ASAP.
Growing up in Vegas is difficult to describe. Most (not all) of us went to college, got degrees, became teachers and all the very nice and normal things our nice and normal parents wanted. We were involved in sports, healthy activities, had nice homes, and lots of excellent parental modeling. However, Vegas IS unique in that, when kids are bored (as they get anywhere), there are more shifty, shady activities to get involved in...even for the valedictorians, perfect students, good clean children, who all learn to be be quite slick at lying to parents about what they really do, see and learn there.
The effects and aftershocks of growing up in Las Vegas have damaged and lingered with every single solitary person I know from there. Not all of it is obvious. Many of us are polished professionals with graduate degrees all over the US and Europe now. but...
We from Lost Veguts call it Las Vegas disease, or Vegas-itis, something to escape and try to heal from. No one we meet in any other place where my friends or I have moved quite comprehend. It wasn't "lucky" or "exciting" to live there. Perhaps it is not really something to explain...more like a feeling, an atmosphere, an experience only a patch of dirt full of bright lights in the middle of nowhere breeds. We refugees collectively try our whole lives to survive it, still. Ask any person who grew up there, starting prior to the age of 10. Please, it's no place to put a child, no matter how "family-friendly" it appears.
I grew up in a small town in PA. Got into the same stuff. That is what teenagers do. But I also had a drug addict father, and a mother that had to worry about a newborn when I was 15, so it was easy to get away with things.
I think as parents, we all went through the same things when we were young. It is how you handle it and how you watch your children. Some parents in this town are to worried about gambling or whatever else.
It is hard sometimes to be a good parent, when we are all trying to pay the bills. Most families have to have both parents to work full time just to make ends meet. When I had my daughter, I went back to work after 6 weeks, hated it. I worked up until she was almost 3. I worked as an Office Manager/General Manager and was working sometimes 17 hours a day, and then came home and cooked dinner, did the laundry, and whatever else had to be done. And had only taken off about 3 days during that time. It is hard, and finally I made the change for my child. Yes it made a difference in my income, but I made changes so that I could do what was best for my child.
My husband and I finally decided to open our own company, so that we can make our hours, and be there for our daughter. It is still hard, but it makes it so worth it that I can be there with my daughter and I will be able to be there whenever she needs me. And I will be able to keep an eye out and guide her on the right path in life. But unfortunately not all parents have the time and energy to be able to do that, and it is sad and I feel for those parents that try so hard, but just cannot accomplish and provide all that they want for the child. But I do not feel sorry for the ones that do not try.
Working in the ER and EMS I see the Vegas most other people do not see.
In my first month in Vegas, in one month I saw more pediatric on pediatric violence than I saw in the 20 years of my career prior combined. I can not count the number of elder and child abuse cases I've been involved in reporting. It is not easy seeing a kid like this.
Meth is epidemic here.
Gang violence has exploded here not just the stuff that's migrated from LA.
Healthcare is about mark ups - not service. Only one facility is native to Las Vegas. Every other one is owned by and outside corporation. Quality Care Nevada -- (http://s103.advocateoffice.com/ - broken link) . In ER's in other states specialty certification as an ER Nurse is highly valued. An example is Virginia which requires hospital trauma centers to have over 50% of their RN's CEN certified to maintain trauma center designation. Most are over 75 %. In the whole city of Las Vegas there are less than 100 of us total.
People will say this is like any other city. I work on the streets and in the ER's. It is not. Healthcare is behind. Violence is increasing. Meth is unabated. In the so called affluent schools the drugs are just more expensive and trendy. I've treated more Ecstasy cases from high schools than high end clubs and strip joints. Seeing a kid who needs a machine to breath after an overdose or drug related accident is not a good experience.
Think very carefully about Vegas. Very carefully.
YOu were doing fine until you threw in the 311Boyz. Never has a less gangy gang existed. By that standard ever group of people who ever grew up in the US is a 'gang'. Maybe you think that true but I sure don't.
There is strong indication that violence is decreasing and has been for many years.
Meth is a problem but not a huge one. Needs fixing. Other drug usage in NV is not terribly high.
Where was your career based before Las Vegas. My first wife, an RN, trained at Bellevue. I have spent some time at UMC and have never seen anything that remotely resembled Bellevue. Simply not in the same class. I presume Bellevue was an ultimate big city hospital...but UMC does not have that level of action.
The problem with your experence is that it is anecdotal. You need numbers to make such a view stick. I don't believe they exist.
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