We’ve all heard it before, but I know that I personally never really understood it. Not until my first Mummy meltdown, I remember calling my Mum begging for help- “he won’t stop crying, I’ve fed him, changed his nappy, given him lots of love, he just won’t stop!”. “Leave it with me” she said, 10 minutes later my Dad walks through my door. He finds me sat on the sofa in my pyjamas, tears streaming down my face, holding the TinyHuman and just rocking.
He swooped in and picked him up, TinyHuman loves his Grandpa, he stopped crying and accepted the cuddles. I was able to get dressed, eat and tidy the overwhelming mess I call a house. Dad stayed for hours, just to make sure that we were okay. That happened a few times in the first week after the Man went back to work.
It really made me realise the importance of asking for help. My little family and I are fortunate to have a wonderful “village” who love us all. At 8 weeks old TinyHuman knows and loves each member of his village: my parents (his Meemaw and Grandpa), his Aunties and Uncle, and his Bibi (our non-binary version of auntie/uncle).
Our village swoops in to save the day- every time. We can always count on them.
Every week TinyHuman has a sleepover with Meemaw and Grandpa, he loves the time he spends bonding with them (and we love the full nights sleep!).
He regularly gets to FaceTime his village, eagerly watching them on the screen while smiling and cooing at them (top tip- virtual babysitting is perfect for a baby who just wants to be chatted too so that you can grab a shower!).
We call and they’re there, every time. Likewise, when they call- we drop and run to help them.
At 7 weeks old he began to differentiate between faces, he could see three people together and only a member of his village would receive his big smiles! As he grows he will continue to spend time with his village and they will continue to save my bacon on a regular basis!
As moms we’re in it together- raising the future. We are a tribe of future makers. So let’s support each other.
Marissa Hermer
I’m extremely fortunate that my village is my family, but your village can be anyone. Your village could be a thousand people that you see all the time, or just that one person who you rarely see but know would be there for you in a heartbeat.
The point is, that it’s okay to ask people for help. It‘s okay to SOS or phone a friend when you feel like it’s getting a bit much. Allow your village to help.
As always, if you are in need of support but are unsure where to look, you can find some links that I have found useful here.
