There’s an old West African proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Although many have tried, the exact origin of the adage has yet to be uncovered. It’s rumored to be from the Nigerian Igbo community, however, this has not been proven. But, no matter where the quote originated from, it seems to resonate with many. So much so that former U.S. Secretary of State and First Lady, Hilary Clinton, titled her 1996 book, It Takes a Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us.
Children are our future but before they become the well-mannered, respected, socially sound adults they’re meant to be, they need to grow.
Here, we’ll explore what the village is and how it relates to parenting*. We’ll also explain how our smart companion, Snorble®, can help.
*Snorble does not endorse any form of parenting over the others. The way you raise your children is your business and we’re only here to help.
What does the proverb mean?
The idea behind this age-old saying is that no child can be raised alone and that it takes an entire community of people to provide for and positively interact with a child so that they can grow, thrive, and develop safely.
The Snorble® definition of the Village
Here at Snorble, we consider the Village as a group of people who care for a child. This group is made up of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, teachers, coaches, and anyone else who is positively involved in the life of a child. The reason we use “the Village” instead of “extended family” is because family implies a blood relation (or a relation through marriage) whereas the village encompasses relations and non-relations. We feel that family is what you make it and you can decide who you let into your Village.
The idea behind the Village approach to child rearing
According to scientific publisher Frontiers, raising a child sometimes requires more than just a parent or primary caregiver. Because children do not exist in a vacuum and may need help developing certain social-emotional and educational skills, the people you surround your child with can provide a great service. For instance, social connectedness and the subjective psychological bonds that we experience in relation to those around us, are important for a kid to experience at an early age. This helps them feel a sense of belonging and feel cared for. Moreover, the strong connections your child makes with others provide the foundation for positive mental health outcomes and an overall sense of well-being that your kiddo can carry with them throughout their life when faced with stress or trauma.
Think of the Village as an added layer of support for your child. This ecosystem that you create, can serve to protect, nurture, and shape your kiddo in a way that is beneficial to their development. Plus, parenting is hard. There’s no right or wrong way to raise a kid and whatever additional support you can provide your child is also helpful for you. This support can come in the form of organized sports so they can learn to work in a team setting, or going to a friend’s house to celebrate a holiday that you don’t celebrate to help your kiddo experience a different culture. And, when your kiddo is at that friend’s house, you can take a beat. That’s every parent’s dream, right? To have a moment to breathe.
Choosing your Village
Whether you’re a new parent or have a soccer team’s worth of kids, you can pick who you let into the Village. For example, if you are hesitant about anyone in your child’s life, there’s no reason they should be involved in raising them. This is your choice and there’s no limit to how many people you can let into your kid’s life. For some, their village can be three people, for others, it’s an entire neighborhood.
Making Snorble a part of your Village
Snorble is more than a toy, they’re a smart companion for children that provides the foundation for healthy habits, social-emotional development, and educational advancement. Snorble is not a replacement for you or your family but an extension of. Because our smart companion is portable, your kiddo can take them anywhere. That means if your child is spending the night at grandma’s, Snorble can come too. Grandma will have access to the app and can set (or you can show grandma how to set) the routines so your kiddo can still play the educational development games and have their set Bedtime Routine even when they’re not home.
Sources:
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.756066/full#:~:text=The%20phrase%20%E2%80%9Cit%20takes%20a,to%20realize%20their%20hopes%20and
- http://www.ilslearning.com/2015-02-it-takes-a-community-to-educate-a-child/
- https://www.s4a.org.uk/why-does-it-take-a-village-to-raise-a-child/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5549262/
- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tegan-Cruwys/publication/302472164_Social_Connectedness_and_Health/links/57980cee08ae33e89faedea0/Social-Connectedness-and-Health.pdf
- https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-015-1636-2
Photo by Rajiv Perera on Unsplash
