I'd like the village back

So the Huffington Post just published an article about why no one is failing as a mother. It talks about that old adage “it takes a village to raise a child.”

I agree with that. So much. My absolute most stress-free times as a mom have been when my dad and step-mom are visiting, or we are visiting them, as well as when we’ve visited J’s sister L.

These people do not necessarily understand or even agree with the way I parent my kids. But they respect it. And that’s enough.

There is someone willing to play with them in the mornings if the babes slept poorly and I’m exhausted. There are tons of people to cook and clean and entertain kiddos, so nothing gets neglected.

J and I can go out and spend time with each other and know are children are safe and with people they love. Yes, I have to remind myself it’s not the end of the world if they watch TV when I would rather them not, or if all they drink is chocolate almond milk. That they will be just fine if they go to bed an hour later than normal. They probably seem like silly worries, but they are still my worries. They are very legit for me.

I even have to tell myself that if someone tells them “no” or tries insisting they eat or put a jacket on because it’s cold but they don’t want to (no, I don’t make them), it is okay! They will be okay.

And I know they will.

So sometimes, okay a lot of times, I wish we still lived like that. Families and friends all together helping each other. The way it’s supposed to be. Because right now we are doing a huge social experiment in 1^st world countries, living in singular families the way we are.

What happened to the village? I want it back.