“There is…nothing to suggest that mothering cannot be shared by several people.” (H. R. Schaffer, O Magazine, May 2003)

Jenny here. I saw this quote and I knew that I had to chime in. Back when our kids were young, the only thing that kept me somewhat sane was the network of friends that I had. We would gather together and let the children play while we exchanged stories, shared laughs, and bounced ideas off of each other. We took turns babysitting, we cleaned each other’s houses, we cooked meals and we shared them. And in the midst of all of this, we mothered. Together.

Think what you want about Hillary Clinton’s politics, she had it right when she said that it takes a village to raise a child. Unfortunately, our society has become so much more mobile and far flung that the village is sometimes hard to come by. Moms, I speak directly to you, and I urge you to make your own village. Drop the charade of the Supermommy. That’s so 1990s. Move into the next millennium by being brave enough to admit that you struggle. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you become the Pied Piper of silent martyr moms who want so desperately to help and be helped. There is no award for doing it all on your own, but there is a tremendous reward for blessing others and allowing them to bless you. In doing so, you create the village it takes to raise a child, and you’ll rise up in the process.

–Jenny Runkel, Co-author ScreamFree Marriage