https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:31:48 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2337245 Wed, 28 Oct 2015 14:21:38 +0000 Mama Bird 2337245@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our village is our parents, neighbors, a couple of families from day care, and extended family. Sadly no one is available to help with child care in any meaningful way, but the kids will hopefully have a lot of people who love them in their life.</p> <p>This thread made me think of an article I saw in the New York Times: <a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/10/25/realestate/large-families-in-tiny-apartments-for-the-sake-of-the-kids-friendships.html" rel="nofollow">http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/10/25/realestate/large-families-in-tiny-apartments-for-the-sake-of-the-kids-friendships.html</a>.<br /> This is totally our life right now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2337185 Wed, 28 Oct 2015 13:38:31 +0000 cascademom 2337185@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our village: my parents, one of our daycares who have babysat for us and gone above and beyond for us in three years, friends who adore our LOs. We're moving closer to my parents (about an hour away) to see them more and be all suburban. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2337046 Wed, 28 Oct 2015 12:20:15 +0000 mrskrumpet 2337046@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a fairly decent size village, my MIL watches my dd during the week, my dad watches her every other Friday. My FIL does it when my MIL is out of town or has appointments. My SIL does it when she has a day off. My mom watches her the Thursday night since my dad works nights. I also just have to ask one of them to watch her for a date night I do feel guilty asking my MIL to do weekends though because she watches her all week. Normally if it works out my dd just stays at my parents if we want a date night. Once I go on mat leave for #2 our options will open greatly since my MIL won't be solely looking after our DD all week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2337039 Wed, 28 Oct 2015 12:14:42 +0000 rosegold 2337039@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: m/fil, sil and her husband and their baby! my side of the family is across the country. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2337026 Wed, 28 Oct 2015 12:06:34 +0000 catlady 2337026@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My main village is DH, my dad, my brother, MIL, and to a lesser extent, SIL and BIL. For date nights, we have finally found a babysitter we really like, although we haven't used her that much yet. </p> <p>I also have a few friends who I feel like I could call on in an emergency, but since they are all either single or suffering from IF, I wouldn't ask them to do something like babysit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2337021 Wed, 28 Oct 2015 12:03:19 +0000 Ms maths 2337021@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our village feels big to me, and I am so greatful.</p> <p>My parents live an hour away; they came once a week when the Baby #2 was young and my husband was back to work. This fall they have come several days when daycare was closed. My husband's parents live much farther away, but they stayed with LO1 while we were at the hospital for #2 and come a few other times a year and give us a childcare break.</p> <p>We also have a large group of local friends who help. We aren't comfortable asking them to babysit for just a night out, but they have helped in the middle of the night when we had to go to the hospital and on days when daycare is closed. I feel so lucky that they gladly take time out of their own lives to help us and spend time with our kids. </p> <p>I'm working on trying to be as generous with my time and energy to help them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2337010 Wed, 28 Oct 2015 11:54:10 +0000 mrsrain 2337010@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our immediate local village is us and my friends. We don't have any family nearby, so when all 3 of us came down with the stomach flu it was my fellow-mom friends who brought us soup, drinks, and extra toilet paper and tissues! So thankful for them.</p> <p>That said, our families would get here asap if we really needed them to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2336979 Wed, 28 Oct 2015 11:36:17 +0000 bushelandapeck 2336979@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Aside from emotional support, neither DH or my families are much help. We rely on each other and on our nanny and close friends in town when we need to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2336949 Wed, 28 Oct 2015 11:24:53 +0000 looch 2336949@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My village is basically my parents, an aunt and a bunch of extended family. My parents already do a ton, so I don't feel comfortable asking them to sign up for weekend duty and that's our family time, anyway.</p> <p>As my son has gotten older, I've gotten more comfortable with a non family sitter, but they're really difficult to find! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2336910 Wed, 28 Oct 2015 11:08:21 +0000 cmomma17 2336910@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't go on any date nights either, but we do have a small village. It's just my mom and my sister.<br /> It used to include my in-laws but they decided to move away. Their loss!<br /> I don't ask for help a lot. My husband works irregular hours though and almost all weekends. So my mom and sister are there for me for things like taking the kids trick or treating so I don't have to do it alone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2336903 Wed, 28 Oct 2015 11:03:17 +0000 namaste 2336903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Friends for sure! My BFF, her husband, and her in-laws are just phenomenal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2335592 Tue, 27 Oct 2015 11:58:06 +0000 snowjewelz 2335592@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How great! I def rather them come short normally but then be reliable when there is an emergency! </p> <p>My parents are def our #1 since they are the closest. In-laws are very helpful too BUT they need my BIL to drive them here. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2334945 Tue, 27 Oct 2015 04:14:36 +0000 lamariniere 2334945@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a few friends I could call if there was really an emergency and neither my husband nor I could get to our kids, but we have no family at all nearby, so it's mainly us. Luckily my DH's job is quite family friendly and I WAH, so I am usually very flexible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2334911 Tue, 27 Oct 2015 00:50:09 +0000 lilteacherbee 2334911@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Both sets of parents and my sister, for sure. My BFF would help as well (she's actually the only non-family member that's ever watched them excluding church childcare), but she currently has a newborn, so it's mainly emotional support right now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2334886 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 23:57:47 +0000 SugarplumsMom 2334886@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's just us. DH and I was just discussing this the other night. We never have time for each other except for the rare Saturday when his parents take care of LO, and even then, the driving vs. actual quality time alone ratio isn't ideal. We decided to take the day off of work/school once in a blue moon to be able to have time alone. It's the only way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2334816 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 22:34:45 +0000 HLK208 2334816@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents and my sister. I'm sure my in-laws would help in an emergency situation but my kids aren't familiar with them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2334791 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 22:05:52 +0000 travelgirl1 2334791@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't believe in the whole "it takes a village" thing when I had my first, because we didn't have one and managed just fine. But through my pregnancy with #2 and now he is here, I realised a good village is worth its weight in gold! My village is made up purely of friends. But they are amazing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2334786 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 21:59:30 +0000 youboots 2334786@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My Mom, MIL (both my Dad and SFIL we see only every 4-6 weeks) @littlejoy and her fam were our first non family members to watch the babe. I am close to two Aunts that would help as well as my cousin (who is Ts guardian) but the need has not come up, mostly she won't take a bottle and no one else can put her to bed so there's not many chances to go out without her. I feel really fortunate. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2334781 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 21:55:37 +0000 erinpye 2334781@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My friends! I am so fortunate to have a community of women in my life who are supportive. Also, my family if/ when they can be, but they all live far away in other states, and my ILs kind of-- they are getting better about being involved. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2334528 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 19:26:10 +0000 Nutella 2334528@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No village here! This is the reason we are moving overseas back to my family. I have some friends and random family here that we sometimes reach out to in a pinch (as in, 3 x in 22 months), but no one who regularly sees LO or would randomly offer to help. LO is the cruisiest kid but it's still super hard! It really does take a village! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2334525 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 19:22:04 +0000 Truth Bombs 2334525@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have six local mom friends of all whom I could call on a dime and they would do whatever they could to help me. But they all work too, so it's hard. When a kid is sick, hubs and I need to work it out between the two of us. I would much rather have people I could rely on in an emergency situation tha date night sitters, it's much easier to find and hire a date night sitter! I'm really working on my parents to move here when they retire. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2334509 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 19:06:42 +0000 fancyfunction 2334509@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents and MIL - they both come<br /> Over at least once a week which gives me a little me time and they are our primary babysitters. Very grateful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2334486 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 18:50:33 +0000 Andrea 2334486@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's just DH and I so that's a big factor into why I'm a SAHM. I take care of all kid stuff and DH works. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2334478 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 18:40:04 +0000 catomd00 2334478@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My in laws (mil, Fil and sil)and the sahm who watches DD twice a week, and my BFF. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2334455 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 18:28:51 +0000 MrsRcCar 2334455@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Honestly since we moved we don't have much a village. My parents are 3 hours away. His dad is 5 hours away. I have one mommy friend here. She has been great but it's hard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whos-in-your-village-1#post-2334440 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 18:20:44 +0000 regberadaisy 2334440@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I complain a lot about my ILs on here. Wishing they were more involved, etc. But, I'm giving them a bad rap. Lately, a lot of emergencies have come up, and in those scenarios, they ALWAYS come through. My BIL included.<br /> Like today, my one year old had diarrhea 5x in an hour and she needed to go home. DH could not leave and nor could I. So my ILs picked her up and took care of her, despite having a medical appointment this afternoon. Tomorrow, BIL will be watching her for us.</p> <p>So, our village consists of my ILs, BIL, and his GF.</p> <p>We might not go on many (if any :P ) date nights. But in emergency situations, they come through! :heart: </p>