Parenting Philosophy Toolbox, Part 10

10. It takes a village to raise a child. You cannot and should not attempt parenting without a support network. This portion of the series I hope you will read as a call to arms. By that, I mean you should embrace all those around you, literally or figuratively.

Do not push people away for their lack of social graces: perhaps you could help them learn--and in the process learn some things for yourself. Do not reject offers of assistance just because you are afraid of being seen as weak. Accept help that is offered, even if you suspect it may not have been wholly offered in earnest. Thank those who help you and invite them to do so again--and offer your own services in return. Do not be afraid to ask for help where you need it.

The Nuclear Family: Aptly Named
Somewhere along the line, some idiots thought that the best configuration for a family was simply a mother, a father, and their offspring. Now, after many years of struggling to make that nuclear family a reality, people are waking up to the idea that it's just a fantasy. We have to work so much harder to hold this notion true (and to a large extent, I count myself among the guilty here), to uphold the lie that we can do it all without help. Some countries have done better than others at avoiding the pitfalls of the nuclear family. However the United States seems to be crumbling under the weight of its own high demands.

And do NOT allow yourself to look down on those who have the courage to ask for help. We live in a society that considers any inability a weakness. I know so very many mothers (and fathers!) who stay home with their children and struggle to be the one to do all the household chores, myself included. I almost feel obligated to leave heaping messes about when company arrives so that I do not present a false picture of what is standard. Yet I've had moms of younger babies ask me how I keep my place so clean. What they don't see is that sometimes I hide dirty dishes in the oven when I'm expecting company. They aren't looking closely enough at the filth that has congealed on the tile and the broken bits of chips, crackers, and (of course) Cheerios that are ubiquitous in our carpeting. They obviously haven't seen the hard water stains that are practically permanent in our toilet bowls. All these women can see is that my place looks cleaner than theirs. What they do not see, in essence, is the failure of the nuclear family to provide a sufficient structure to accomplish all the goals it sets.

Knowing this, I strive not to envy others whose homes shine with cleanliness because I know at what cost it must come. To accomplish what minimal chores I do manage around the house, I have to surrender quality time with Jackson. In order to have a home that glitters and gleams, I would need to sacrifice a great deal more quality time with him (and possibly my husband as well). The value of the sparklingly clean home does not offset the loss of time spent focusing on my child. Given that he's my priority, my main responsibility, it seems ridiculous that quality time with him should get rejected because someone else might notice it's been a couple of weeks since I last vacuumed.

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When I made the decision to move away from family to be with Andrew, it was initially under the assumption that we were not imminently going to have children. That assumption turned out to be waaay wrong. Having no family nearby, we have no easy place to turn when we need a spare hand or some time off just to breathe for an hour or to get things done that require both loud noises and two sets of hands. Instead we have had to construct a new network to take the place of a familial tribe.

As it stands now, we are in a much better position than when I first moved to town as a newly pregnant, very sick (iron poisoning which subsided as morning sickness began), and physically injured woman (disc-herniation in my neck; no fun). I joined a playgroup as soon as possible after Jackson's birth. I take every available opportunity to befriend other moms who I feel are people I could respect--and who may one day be someone I could call in an emergency to help me with my child. And I have continued going to the gym, partly as my "time off for good behavior," as the gym offers free child care for up to 2 hours a day for members. On particularly exhausting days, I will drop Jackson off at the gym's daycare so he can get playtime in with other children while I relax in the spa and try to recoup some energy.

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The cliche of elderly people complaining about "kids these days" is somewhat ironic. The genetics and the environment handed down to the "kids these days" is given to them by the elderly and aging. As the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, non-child-bearing adults, and any other person whose life impacts children in any way (which is EVERYONE), we have a responsibility to teach our children in word and action. We also have a responsibility to protect them. No longer is the world comprised of isolated tribes. We are all interconnected and the lines between borders of countries are diminished; the barriers between cultures are blurred, and slowly but surely we are becoming a world of one tribe.

People are social creatures. We function better together than we do apart. Sadly much of our modern culture serves to emphasize our individuality to such an extreme that we all feel isolated from one another. A worldwide culture of lonely people who are forgetting their origins. Luckily we have the power to change that negative trend.

We need to quit comparing and start sharing. If many hands make light work, then why aren't we dining in groups more often and sharing the workload of the cooking and clean-up? Why aren't more parents helping watch their friends' children while they clean house? Let's make it happen. Let's build our networks of friends and families in a genuine way. Let's acknowledge that being a parent is a difficult and worthy challenge that does NOT have to be borne alone.

It takes a village to raise a child. Let's all do our parts to see children raised well: happy, healthy, loved, and cherished by all.