For most parents you know it takes a lot to raise children. Even with all the preparations one makes, it still takes a village to make it happen. Traditional villages usually consist of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. However in this day and age the traditional villages have changed.
Some parents also are facing many challenges that they have no village at all. The purpose of the village is to provide some sort of support with the children. This support can be in the form of baby sitting, emotional, as well as financial. The parents who have no support find it difficult to make things work.
When I had my first child I had an awesome support system. My child was born with asthma and 6 weeks early. Between work, hospital stays, doctor appointments I was so burnt out but my team definitely was there to make sure that nothing fell by the wayside.
Now with a total of 3 children and moving to a bigger city away from my own family and friends I’m having to think outside the box to rebuild a team. I began to think about who was in my village for me. Yes even though I’m a mom it’s not my only role. As a woman, I had to rebuild my own personal team as well. It’s often said show a person your friends and you will see who a person really is.
I’m amazed that as a woman how many other women do not have good quality women around them that can build them up. I hear the stories of mistrust of other women. I get it but why? We are in in a place of being able to congratulate other women and form amazing sisterhoods. I’m not saying that you need a huge team, trust me quality is better than quantity but you do need a team.
Ladies especially ones with children never forget about yourself and trust me when I say you need more than good diapers and the perfect onesizes to be the best mom that you can be. You also need to be able to be solid all around and you need sisters around you to do that. Yes you need a girlfriend or two around that you can cry with, be vulnerable with and grab a good drink or two with. Don’t estimate friendships because they are invaluable.
My challenge to you is simple, reconnect. Yes there are some of your friendships that you needed to get rid of, keep them that way. However, there are some relationships that you know you should have tried to make work but didn’t. Reconnect and make amends. You aren’t an island and even if you were every island needs water and it’s time to check your village.
