Years ago, when I first heard the proverb that it takes a village to raise a child, I didn’t agree. I leaned more toward it takes a “family” to raise a child – parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. – not a village of people you aren’t related to.
I’ve since changed my mind, thanks to my adult daughters, Kacee and Karah.
Nowadays, as I’m watching my 6- and 3-year-old granddaughters, Tilleigh and Evie, grow up, I am seeing firsthand the importance of letting a village help raise a child.
Our “village” starts with Kacee, a single parent and, thankfully, because my husband, Hank, and I live next door, we are always there to help her out with the girls. Hardly a day goes by that we don’t spend time with our granddaughters.
The matriarch of our village is my 84-year-old mother, Evelyn. She spends a lot of time with the girls, too. She baby-sits Evie (her namesake) several times a week and, now that school is out, Tilleigh will be with her a lot. Mother’s influence on the girls is priceless.