
You’ve no doubt heard the saying, “it takes a village to raise a child.” I heard it often and believed it, but I never fully appreciated it until I had my own kid. Sure, I was part of others’ villages as I babysat for friends and encouraged my young nephew to say ‘excuse me’ after he burped, but I didn’t realize how helpful your village is when caring for your kid, yourself, and your family. When my son was born, I was lucky to have my mother stay with us for a few weeks to help take care of us. She’s pretty amazing, and the fierce love she has for her family can’t be beat. Then I had to go back to work, which meant I had to rely on someone else to take care of my sweet baby boy. I think this is one of the feelings that is hardest to resolve as a working mother. I often felt like I was abandoning Sebastian, and watching him grow up in photos, and leaving him for someone else to raise. I still haven’t quite reconciled these feelings completely but I’m working on it, especially as I let go and know that I really don’t have to do it alone.

Fun at daycare.
With all of that said, the point of this post is that I’m so thankful for the caregivers in Sebastian’s life. From his father to his grandparents and aunts and uncles, our friends, and his daycare teachers, I’ve learned that it truly does take a village.

So many toys to play with, so little time!
In the beginning we were lucky to have found a great daycare for Sebastian. His teachers were considerate, attentive, and seemed to really care about his well being. When we switched to the new daycare, I expected more of the same and was a little disappointed when the teachers didn’t go “above and beyond.” In the grand scheme of things, however, they’re doing a great job. Sebastian is never hungry, he hasn’t had any injuries, and he always has a smile on his face when I pick him up in the evenings. Oh, and one morning when I walked in the door to drop him off, the 3- to 4-year-old kids saw us and starting yelling, “Good morning, Sebastian!” It was adorably sweet and made me feel better about leaving him there because I knew he was surrounded by folks who cared about him.

Finger painting at daycare
So, I’m really grateful that there will always be someone there if I need them to take care of Sebastian. And not just take care OF him but really care FOR him. It speaks volumes to the people I have chosen to be in my community. But more on that next week 😉
[…] last week’s Giving Thanks post, I talked about how grateful I am for all of the caregivers I have in my ‘village’ who […]
AMEN! this could not be more true. love your heart! you’re an amazing mama and what a blessing to have such amazing caregivers!
So glad that you have people close by that care so much for Sebastian even in his daycare! That is so important for a mama’s peace of mind especially since it’s already hard to leave them in the first place! It really does take a whole village. I appreciate this series and your giving thanks for people who play important and specific roles in your life!
Thanks, Mary Leigh! I’m glad you like the series. I’m always afraid of repeating myself each year but this felt like a good way to be especially intentional in showing my gratitude 🙂
What a cutie! I have heard from many that it does take a village. That is awesome that you have people in your life from family to daycare to contribute .
Thanks, Edith. It really does help having people you can count on. And I’m glad I can be a person that my family and friends can count on in their villages. It’s the best!
What a sweet acknowledgment! I’m glad you found a support group who can help.
It’s always hard to leave your kids with someone else. I’ve been a parent for 10 years now and it’s still a challenge! I know that we could not have survived without our village. My parents alone- not to mention a few other people- have truly been by our side helping us out from the start. I am beyond grateful for them! I’ve been a working mom and a stay-at-home mom. There’s always going to be guilt about something so do your best to turn away from it. Easier said than done but I’ve learned that it’s such a waste of time & energy.
Tandra, you’re right that getting over the guilt of leaving our babies with someone else is easier said than done but it helps to look at the positives that can come of it. I know that Sebastian will learn things from others that I can’t always teach him AND I’ve watched him interact with the other kids and he loves it, so he really is getting the best of both worlds. And thank you for the encouragement 🙂