Today we celebrate World Cities Day, a date set by the UN for boost the development of sustainable and resilient cities, that not only take into account the needs of all its inhabitants, but that they are places where people's lives are protected and improved.
In Spain there are 120 Child Friendly Cities, which have obtained this badge after becoming Friendly and safe environments for the little ones, encouraging their participation in urban life and defending their rights. And living in cities like this can have great advantages for children!
Wide educational offer
In general, the cities have a greater educational offer than the towns. This makes it easier for parents to choose a school for their children, and offers children greater opportunities when they want to pursue an extracurricular or educational activity outside of school hours.
In Babies and more Extracurricular activities: which are the most chosen and how much we spend per childIn the city, children are not limited to a specific educational offer, and most likely they will find what they are looking for in a short distance. Study Chinese? Learn to play the harp? Do a family cooking workshop? Nothing is impossible, and it is only a matter of looking for the center where the activity closest to your home is taught.
Social Skills Development
In cities, the number of inhabitants is much larger than in rural areas, so children they will be more likely to make friends with other children out of your school environment.
Meeting new people continuously helps children improve their social skills, foster their self-esteem, develop empathy, share their life experiences, and listen and respect those of others.
In Babies and more My son is shy, should I worry?Multiculturality and diversity
But also, in the cities we find all kinds of people; of different races, customs, tastes, habits of life ... This makes children grow up surrounded by multiculturalism and diversity, enriching their life experiences and increasing the chances of meeting children from anywhere in the world.
In Babies and more Multiculturalism in schoolYou are also more likely to meet different families from the traditional model, as well as study in a school where multiculturalism reigns and children learn to live together, respect and know more about the customs of others.
More cultural and leisure offer
The cities are full of museums, libraries, theaters, cinemas, showrooms, attractions for the little ones ... The plans in the big city never end, and there are them for all kinds of tastes and ages, making the Leisure offer for families is really enriching.
This is not only appreciated on weekends, when parents look for different plans to do with children, but it is a guarantee of fun also in the summer season and at Christmas, where the parties seem to acquire a more magical tinge in the big cities.
More services
As the leisure, educational and cultural offer is larger in cities, so is the offer of any other service, such as shops, transportation and catering. And is that anything you look for in a city is easily found, and this is undoubtedly a great advantage for daily life.
Speed when arriving anywhere
The cities have a wide public transport network which allows you to reach any point of the urban map in a short time. And this is a very positive aspect for any family, because by spending less time on journeys, more time is gained to be together.
But if the cities are adapted to walk its streets safely, it may not be necessary to move by public transport and children can do it on skateboards, scooters and, why not, also by bicycle.
In Babies and more, does your child have an electric scooter or a hoverboard? These are the recommendations for use for children you should knowGreen areas and pedestrian spaces
When we think of the city, the idea of finding green spaces, large playgrounds and large pedestrian areas rarely comes to mind, something that is most often linked to rural environments.
In Babies and more Cities like Pontevedra have recovered the street for children, how have they done it?But when the cities are designed with children in mind and adapted to their needs, life in them is really enriching: streets where you can play safely, spaces in which to experience, discover and interact, green lungs to enjoy nature, pedestrian paths to go anywhere, and even parks adapted to the Needs of all children.
And that's how it is nice to live in the city!
Photos | iStock
