If we compress the entire 195,000 years into one hour – yes, once around the clock face – it has only been in the final couple of seconds that we have been living in nuclear families and often parenting without our clan or tribe.
…we live in a society that is out-of-kilter with our humanness.
So if you struggle as a parent, please don’t feel bad about yourself, we live in a society that is out-of-kilter with our humanness. Parenting was never meant to be a job that two people alone could do. Or, even harder . . . solo!
Congratulate yourself for how well you are doing in a system that is a mismatch for the human blueprint and then go about building stronger connections. However it may look for you, parenting is easier and children thrive better when supported by others.
I once came across a definition I liked: “An under-privileged child is one who can’t name 12 caring adults”.
It’s not always possible to be surrounded by family but it is possible to build a family of friends…community of caring.
Barbara Greene is a dedicated mother and grandmother who feels lucky to have come across The Continuum Concept by Jean Liedloff at the time of the arrival of her first child. This was the beginning of a journey that has included extensive experience as a family social worker and parenting educator. Latterly neuroscience has informed her approaches. Barbara deeply cares about the impact of so many social norms that grate against our humanness. You can follow Barbara on her Facebook page.
