Raising Kids (and supporting sanity) in Community: Why Families are Choosing Cohousing
If you’ve ever tried to make dinner, answer work emails, and stop a toddler from feeding Legos to the dog – all at the same time – you’ve probably wondered: There has to be an easier way to live.
Turns out, there is. It’s called cohousing. And families around Canada and the USA are increasingly seeking out this unique approach to home and community.
Allow us to introduce Killick Ecovillage in Portugal Cove–St. Philip’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Think 58 acres with 51 homes, trails, a pond, a kids’ play space, and a whole mix of ages and families ready to trade isolation for community. We are building a neighborhood designed for connection, nature, and sanity-saving support. Move-in is not until 2027, but the dream’s already taking shape, with a number of families with children and members ranging in age from 1 year old to 76 years old.
Here’s why Newfoundland families are saying yes to this way of life.
1. Your Kids Get Nature, Not Just Screen Time
Killick Ecovillage’s backyard isn’t a fenced postage stamp of grass. It’s trails, trees, and a pond. Your kids can dig holes, build forts, and come home with muddy knees. You can stop pretending the local playground mulch counts as “nature time.”
Studies show outdoor play boosts creativity, attention, and immunity, but honestly, the real win is that they’ll sleep hard at night.
2. You Get a Break (Sometimes Even a Hot Coffee)
Raising kids alone is… a lot. In cohousing, you’ve got neighbors who actually know your name and your child’s favorite snack.
Need five minutes to finish work? Someone nearby is happy to keep an eye on your kiddo at the playground. Need a school run swap or an extra cup of sugar? Done.
Killick’s multigenerational setup means it’s not just other parents helping out. There’ll be grandparents, aunties, uncles, and honorary cousins all around, many of whom will adore your kids – and your kids will adore them.
It’s the kind of village your grandparents talked about, but with Wi-Fi.
3. Community Happens Naturally
No awkward small talk at the mailbox. No months of “we should get together sometime.”
In an ecovillage, friendship happens because life is shared > meals, celebrations, the occasional chaotic group gardening day. Your kids will grow up surrounded by people who cheer for their milestones and know when they need a Band-Aid or a pep talk.
It’s the opposite of anonymous suburban living.
4. You Teach Sustainability by Living It
At Killick Ecovillage, sustainability isn’t a trend, it’s the plan. The homes will be energy-efficient, the land cared for using permaculture principles, and the community built around respect for the planet.
That means your kids grow up seeing composting, rainwater collection, and shared gardens as normal, not as “science projects.”
It’s a quiet kind of activism, teaching them to live lightly on the earth without ever giving a lecture.
5. Kids Learn What Real Community Feels Like
Imagine your child growing up surrounded by caring adults, other kids to play with, and a world where everyone looks out for each other. They learn to share, to listen, to speak up.
It’s a crash course in kindness, and no tuition required.
Village Life, Updated
Cohousing isn’t about giving up privacy or living in matching sweaters. It’s about trading exhaustion for connection, and isolation for belonging. Research shows folks who choose cohousing experience greater social support, sense of community, and well-being.
For families with young kids, it’s the chance to raise children who think it’s normal to know their neighbors, and who grow up seeing community as a verb, not a place.
Killick Ecovillage is where that future starts. Homes, trails, laughter, and maybe the occasional barefoot kid chasing a duck by the pond.
If that sounds like your kind of chaos, you might just belong here.
Curious? Want to learn more? Join our next Living in Killick Ecovillage info session either live or online. RSVP Today to learn more about becoming an Explorer Member to see if Killick is the right fit for your family.