According to an article I recently read, when we lack a village in our lives, mother’s feel the weight of this loss the most. This deeply resonated with me in this season of early motherhood. As mothers, we feel the burden of raising a well rounded, kind, and smart child daily. As any parent knows, this is no small task. And it is a task that shouldn’t be carried alone. Since we often don’t have these villages, we are left feeling constantly anxious, inadequate, and burnt out. Fortunately, in our age of social media, transportation, and information, there are ways to find a village that might just not be the houses around you. Our new preschool is one of them.
Here are a few reasons why I consider My daughters preschool part of our village.
The Teachers and Staff Get It
We recently had a newly affordable preschool open in our area. And on the back of their t-shirts and mugs, it literally says, “we are the village.” Whoever came up with this slogan is brilliant and I want to hug them. While I have a wonderful community of friends and a sea of babysitters, it still doesn’t fill the void of having family nearby. But the teachers and workers at this preschool want to do everything they can to make you and your child feel safe, loved, and cared for. They know the difficulty of raising a child and want to help in any way they can.
They also gave every parent a Tervis tumbler with a Starbucks gift card, I mean what more could you ask for?
Alone Time
As an introvert who refuels by being alone in silence, having a baby was a rude awakening. Obviously, there are major sacrifices when it comes to being a parent but there usually comes a point during every week where I have to have at least 30 minutes of alone time or I feel like I will go insane. We don’t have any family nearby so I rely on my husband and an occasional babysitter for breaks. While these breaks are definitely helpful, it’s truly a gift to have five mornings in a row to myself.
Free mornings also allow me to run errands by myself without a toddler in tow. I can also pursue my creative passions without being interrupted every 10 minutes. It is glorious.
Multiple Influences of Authority
Since we don’t have family around consistently, I’m thankful to have other older adults around my daughter who reinforce what is right and wrong. My daughter is strong-willed, independent, and has a supernatural amount of energy. (Can anyone relate?) It’s helpful to have an older woman who can give me suggestions on how to help me guide my daughter as she grows up. She is also currently an only child and I want her to learn how to share and be kind to others.
I am forever grateful for our church, community, and friends who make up our village. And I’m ecstatic to add my daughters preschool to this list.
