Building A Parenting Village: A Guide?

Building a parenting village can be challenging, but it is essential to be intentional in creating one. It is not about suddenly finding a supportive community around you, but rather about checking in with your connections, letting your interests lead the way, showing up in your neighborhood and community, making conversation, and finding an emergency friend.

Building a village can take time, and bad days and emergencies may occur. To build a village, identify someone in your life who lives within 30 minutes and would take your phone call in the middle of the day. Explore virtual communities and explore practical solutions for modern parenting by creating your own support system.

Foster positive social connections and actively add personalities into the village that may be missing. If you feel isolated or alone, consider positive sources of support in the village. Village-building actions include including caring adults from outside your nuclear family in rituals, traditions, and celebrations such as holidays, birthdays, or regular meals. Create or participate in events that allow long stretches of relaxed time together, such as camping trips.

To build your own parenting village when you don’t have one, recognize how much you need one and enroll your kids in activities from other families. Florence Ann Roman, author of Build Your Village: Guide to, offers expert advice on how families across the country are making it work.

Building a village around your values, needs, and interests is essential for a successful parenting journey. There are many routes to start building your own village and circle of support, whether virtually or in real life. By creating a portfolio of support for yourself, you will feel and function better when you build a parenting village.


📹 If it takes a village to raise a child – build your own | Liz Lian | TEDxBasel

It takes a village to raise a child, but few of us live in villages anymore. Liz Lian tackles the isolation of modern parenting and …


How big do you have to be to be a village?

Settlements are typically too small or scattered to be considered urban, with services limited to bare essentials such as churches, grocery stores, and post offices. Throughout human history, very few settlements could support a population greater than 150 people. Villages or tribes are larger than hamlets but smaller than towns, with an average population of about 150 members. Hamlets or bands have a tiny population (fewer than 100) with only a few buildings, and social bands are the simplest level of foraging societies with a maximum size of 30 to 50 people.

Homesteads or neighbourhoods consist of isolated dwellings occupied by a single extended family, typically with one to five buildings or elementary families. Roadhouses or bed and breakfasts are small mixed-use premises built on or near major roads in sparsely populated areas or isolated desert regions, providing food, drinks, accommodation, fuel, and parking spaces to guests and their vehicles. Roadhouses are often considered the smallest type of human settlement.

How to establish a village?
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How to establish a village?

To foster a nurturing parenting environment, it is essential to attend recurring events in established communities, include caring adults in rituals and celebrations, and participate in events that allow long stretches of relaxed time together. Play outside your house, increase your chances of encountering neighbors, and take dog walks. Participate in online discussion lists and create opportunities for in-person meetings. Frequently attend the farmers market and organize the annual Night Out Against Crime. Open your house or yard to neighbors, like hosting Flamingo Fridays.

Ask for help when families are in need, especially during crises or less urgent needs. It is important to offer support when you recognize a need. Dr. Gordon Neufeld’s book, Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More than Peers, is a foundation for this idea. All Kids Are Our Kids: What Communities Must Do to Raise Caring and Responsible Children and Adolescents, by the director of the Search Institute, lists “assets” or elements of community that kids need to thrive. Stopping at Every Lemonade Stand: How to Create a Culture that Cares for Kids offers a narrative and relies on the Search Institute’s asset-building paradigm.

How do you build a community village?
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How do you build a community village?

To foster a nurturing parenting environment, it is essential to attend recurring events in established communities, include caring adults in rituals and celebrations, and participate in events that allow long stretches of relaxed time together. Play outside your house, increase your chances of encountering neighbors, and take dog walks. Participate in online discussion lists and create opportunities for in-person meetings. Frequently attend the farmers market and organize the annual Night Out Against Crime. Open your house or yard to neighbors, like hosting Flamingo Fridays.

Ask for help when families are in need, especially during crises or less urgent needs. It is important to offer support when you recognize a need. Dr. Gordon Neufeld’s book, Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More than Peers, is a foundation for this idea. All Kids Are Our Kids: What Communities Must Do to Raise Caring and Responsible Children and Adolescents, by the director of the Search Institute, lists “assets” or elements of community that kids need to thrive. Stopping at Every Lemonade Stand: How to Create a Culture that Cares for Kids offers a narrative and relies on the Search Institute’s asset-building paradigm.

How to build a community for your family?
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How to build a community for your family?

Building an intentional community involves opening up your life to neighbors, church members, old friends, and extended family members. This helps you get to know your child better and provide a circle of support for yourself, your family, and your child. This support can provide energy, ideas, resources, connections, inspiration, fun and social opportunities, understanding, and empathy. It helps families facing unexpected challenges, such as parenting a child with disabilities, to reach out to others and share the difficulties and joys of parenting.

To invite people to join your intentional community, ask yourself questions about who gives support and encouragement, who connects with and cares for your child, and who outside your immediate family and school community knows your child well. By doing so, you can create a supportive environment for your family and child.

Does it still take a village to raise a child?
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Does it still take a village to raise a child?

The concept of a village has evolved significantly, with nuclear families often living far away and technology transforming communication. The phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” holds significant meaning in many cultures, emphasizing the importance of community involvement in nurturing children. Raising a child is a complex, demanding job that requires multiple members of the community, including family, neighbors, teachers, and mentors.

Each person plays a different role in shaping a child’s values, beliefs, and behaviors. This proverb, rooted in African culture, emphasizes the importance of community involvement in nurturing children, not just about parenting but also a collective effort.

How to create a mom community?
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How to create a mom community?

A mom tribe is a group of women who share a common goal of raising children together. These groups can be found in various settings such as playgrounds, schools, daycare centers, social media, family members, neighbors, or gyms. With the rise of mom shaming, 69% of women wish they had received more encouragement and support when they became mothers. A mom tribe, also known as parlor groups, mom’s clubs, or mommy friends, is a group of women who work together to navigate motherhood.

70% of moms believe their inner circle of moms is their largest source of support. To create an ideal mom tribe, consider factors such as size, geographical area, and whether all women know each other.

How do I set up parent zone?
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How do I set up parent zone?

ParentZone is an app available for download on Android and iOS devices. Users can add their observations and photos of their child’s activities and milestones outside of the nursery setting. This helps the nursery understand their child’s earning journey. Parents can also share their child’s first steps, words, and throw a ball. Uploading photos of trips to the zoo, woodland walk, or seaside helps the child’s Key Worker understand the experience, increasing their self-confidence and understanding of the world.

This helps the nursery gain a clear picture of their child’s development journey. By sharing these experiences, parents can help their child’s Key Worker build their self-confidence and understanding of the world.

What does it takes a whole village to raise a child?
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What does it takes a whole village to raise a child?

The phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” originates from an African proverb, indicating that it takes many people to provide a safe, healthy environment for children. This environment requires an environment where children’s voices are taken seriously and multiple people, including parents, siblings, extended family members, neighbors, teachers, professionals, community members, and policy makers, care for a child. However, the village in many countries is dissipated and fragmented, leading to individuals feeling less connected to extended family members and others.

The concept of the village is inherent in the notion that caring for children is a shared responsibility amongst many. This article proposes a village that can provide support and guidance to families living with adversity, incorporating the idea that caring for children is a shared responsibility amongst many.

Families can be defined by their members, and each family defines itself. A broad approach to the definition of family includes those who share a common purpose, set of conventions, and customs. There are different types of families, including traditional nuclear families, single parent families, adoptive families, same-sex parents, foster families, stepfamilies, and those raised by grandparents or other relatives.

Is it better for children to grow up in the town or the countryside?

The decision to rear one’s children in a rural or urban setting is contingent upon individual preferences and the potential implications for their future. While it is not an easy decision, it is nevertheless a crucial one, as it will have a significant impact on their future.

How to survive motherhood without a village?
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How to survive motherhood without a village?

As a mom, it is essential to manage expectations and be honest with yourself and others. Connect with a small group of safe people in your life and share your thoughts, as many may relate to your experiences personally. Focus on the positives in your reality, even if it may be hard to deny the negatives. Connect with friends via phone calls, audio messages, or joining online communities that serve you emotionally.

With the pandemic improving, try to find a small group of mom friends who uplift you and you actually like to see. Don’t surround yourself with people who do not uplift you. Maximize resources you have to take care of yourself, such as taking extra time to pick up your children closer to 5 than at 4. Utilize your partner, relative, or babysitter for mental breaks if possible.

Communicate your needs with a loved one or partner, asking them to help you in a specific area. Prioritize movement, journaling, or meditation when you have a break, as it is healing for our minds. Remember that our village can be defined uniquely in our modern age, whether it’s emotional support or physical help. Define what it is you need to feel supported and seek that out to feel less alone and more supported.

How many people does it take to build a village?
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How many people does it take to build a village?

A village is a small rural settlement with a population of between 500 and 2, 500, typically larger than a “hamlet” but smaller than a “town”. It is typically clustered around a central point, such as a church, marketplace, or public space. This type of village organization is called a nucleated settlement. Linear settlements, on the other hand, are not clustered around a central public space but around a line, such as a river bank or seashore.

These settlements can also develop around a transportation route, such as a railroad line. In most parts of the world, villages are clustered around a central point, such as a church, marketplace, or public space.


📹 Building Your Parenting VillageConnect & Thrive

Building Your Parenting Village: Connect & Thrive Ever heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child”? It’s true!


Building A Parenting Village: A Guide
(Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Rae Fairbanks Mosher

I’m a mother, teacher, and writer who has found immense joy in the journey of motherhood. Through my blog, I share my experiences, lessons, and reflections on balancing life as a parent and a professional. My passion for teaching extends beyond the classroom as I write about the challenges and blessings of raising children. Join me as I explore the beautiful chaos of motherhood and share insights that inspire and uplift.

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  • I love this and the message is so central to everything I’m thinking about regarding parenting and community, however I did wonder if you had any more content in which you went into more detail as to what it actually looks like to build this and how to build this modern village? Thanks for sharing such an important truth.

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