Neighbor News
Parenting Takes A Village!
Parents, we don't have to do it all. We're never at our best when we're tired and alone. Use the village to a better way of life.
We’ve heard that parenting takes a village, right? Or, at least, that it takes a village to raise a child, right? However, we modern Americans think we’re beyond this village-child raising concept. The image of long gone villages, thousands of miles away, pop up in our heads, of people with all the time in the world with no real job to get to. The village thing just doesn’t seem relevant to us. We think wouldn’t that be nice. However, unfortunately, it isn’t possible in today’s society and hectic times.”
Furthermore, we parents have learned to feel guilty if we can’t do it all. We feel that we’re expected to work long hard hours at work and then come home and make everything perfect. We’re all exhausted by the time we get home and we can’t always make everything perfect. Hey, it’s just a fact that life isn’t perfect. Parenting isn’t perfect. We’re not perfect, and we’re never at our best when we’re exhausted.
Increasingly we have taken on the old American independent cowboy image with a modern day twist. We think we have to be the strong, quiet and independent type. You know, like Clint Eastwood used to be back in those old western movies. In the fast-pace, shoot ‘em up video, media and blinking lights world that we live in now, we’re too proud to ask for help. Somehow, we think asking for help makes us weak.
Find out what's happening in West Hartfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Even though times have changed; one thing hasn’t changed. It still takes a village to raise a child. Unfortunately, our stubborn pride is getting in the way of us raising our kids, and raising the quality of all of our lives.
Now, as my Granddaddy always said, “Go learn, lead, and lay the way to a better world for all of us. Don’t let your pride get in the way. Ask the village for help. Like route 66, the village is still there if we will just take the time to look for it. And once again parents, thanks in advance for all that you do, and all that you will do…
Find out what's happening in West Hartfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Daniel Blanchard is a New Britain Schoolteacher a bestselling and award-winning author, speaker, educator and TV host. Learn more about Dan at: www.GranddaddysSecrets.com
