Celebrating our community heroes

Post in collaboration with Chums

There’s a saying that suggests that a child’s upbringing is a communal effort involving many different people and groups; from parents to teachers, family friends and grandparents and as a Mum of two young boys, I wholeheartedly agree. Each person plays their part, some totally unaware of the impact they are having and some who are actively choosing to take part and be a part of our youngters lives on a daily basis. 

Reflecting on my own village, my boys have an incredible set of male role models in their lives. My husband, their Daddy, is an active part of their lives; often doing the school run, making their dinner and reading bedtime stories. My brother-in-laws are hands on, happy to play with the boys and feed their imagination with games and stories and equally, both their Grandad’s are brilliant, helping the boys to learn and grow with days out, trips to the park and helping with DIY around the home. They each play an active and valuable role showing the boys indirectly how to live, how to behaviour and how to handle life in general. 

From a female perspective, the boys have love and support from their Nans and their Aunty. All of whom are incredibly support of their ventures. Their love has a nurturing effect and has helped cushion the impact of any upset or uncertainty in their lives. I know I am enormously grateful of their support and always appreciative of their love for my children. I know they are safe in their care and the boys also feel safe wrapped up in their care too. 

Extending my appreciation to the wider community heroes, there are people in our boys lives who each have an impact and are helping to shape the two incredible young boys I am so proud to call my own; their teachers are all fantastic. They have welcomed the boys into their school with open arms and have enveloped them with care and attention. This undoubtely has helped them feel safe and secure at school which has lead them to thrive in their education and enjoy their time at school. 

There’s the lollipop man who safely crosses the boys to school during every school run, there’s the small group of wonderful school mums who treat my boys like their own as they play with their besties in the playground with offers of playdates and pick ups, and there’s the sports coaches who train with the boys weekly, teaching them new skills and supporting their development in a sport that they both love and enjoy. 

It takes a village to raise children and I’m so grateful that my village are loving and supporting. There’s no way I could raise these boys on my own without the intervention of people in our wonderful community. I am sure the village doesn’t end there. There are countless other people who each play their own part and are helping to shape the creative, intelligent, inquisitive minds of my boys who are always asking questions, wanting to soak up information from the world around them and is helping them to grow. 

Who’s in your village? I am so grateful and appreciative of my village.