Why Raise Children in a City?

My daughters attend an elementary school in the Pittsburgh Public Schools that is very diverse. They have friends representing many different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. When my daughters grow up, they will live in a world that is greatly defined by urban and multicultural realities. With that in mind, it is important to me that I raise them in an environment that is urban and multicultural. We are pretty intentional about these things, and I love to see how this philosophy plays itself out through personal relationships.

For just one example, my youngest daughter has developed a friendship with a girl whose parents are both originally from Cuba. The parents moved to Chile, then Germany (where their daughter was born), and finally to the United States. We developed a friendship with the parents through their daughter, and now our families are becoming good friends. A couple months ago, our friends moved from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. They invited us to visit them this past weekend, so we took them up on it. We had an incredible time! We received tremendous hospitality. They truly welcomed us into their home. They cooked authentic Cuban food for us. We toured the DC area together, and we navigated the city with ease. It was a wonderful weekend, and these relationships all developed because we chose to raise our daughter in an urban environment and put her in a school that represents the diversity in the city.

People sometimes will ask me if I'm "sacrificing my children on the altar of my ministry in the city." My answer is not that I'm harming my children by raising them in the city, or just hoping that they get by without too much trouble. I'm actually giving my children a great gift by raising them in the city. Regardless of where they choose to live when they are adults (urban, suburban, rural, etc.), my daughters will know how to navigate cities and they will know how to authentically build relationships with people who are from different races, cultures, and socioeconomic status. The city is serving as their classroom.