It takes a village. . .
Posted on Fri, Oct 08, 2010
I have come to appreciate this saying so much more since becoming a mom. For new moms, especially, motherhood can be an isolating experience. And quite frankly, I still have days when I need the support of friends to wade through the turbulent waters of parenting.
It’s nice to know other children behave as mine do (when they’re at their worst!). And it’s nice to discover other grown-ups that have a good influence on my children.
I’m only one person and I can’t always be all things to my children. I have found the single most important aspect in choosing activities is the grown-up/teacher in charge. I seek out adults who connect with my chidren and truly care about my child. I have even driven 30+ minutes to go to classes, even when there was a similar class much closer. Why? Because the influence these teachers have on my children is monumental. Especially on my short-tempered days, I need these people more than ever to remind me of the good in my children.
In an era that commonly has people with 1000+ facebook friends (I kid you not–I don’t think I even know that many people by name, let alone consider them friends), making meaningful face-to-face connections is so important. And it’s becoming harder to do. How do you help your kids feel connected to a community (and not an online one)?