I have to admit that I have often felt quite alone in the thoughts I am now going to share, but it is precisely that loneliness that I think makes the quote in the title have such an impact - so probably the feeling is shared by many.. Maybe we just have to dare formulate what it is that rubs? "It takes a village to raise a child". In short, many adults are needed in a child's life. Preferably many safe adults in different roles.
After all, our part of the world has embraced the individualistic society where everyone does their own thing (must cope with all parts of life) as some kind of proof of success. Asking for help or admitting shortcomings thus becomes evidence of the opposite. But maybe the way here was necessary? For example, the fact that women started working required childcare because no one could be at home with the children anymore. So our way of life has brought with it quite a few good things that we don't want to be without. But sometimes I wonder, what are we doing and at the expense of what? In any case, I'm not interested in a regression.
So.. what is it then that makes the quote speak to us in the West? We who seem to continue to choose the path "alone is strong"? Does it talk about something we are missing? I can only assume myself and I say it does. Definitely and quite obviously. In our quest we won a lot but we also lost a lot. We couldn't get everything and now it's chafing. So here comes possibly the biggest cliché I've ever put down in writing: WE NEED EACH OTHER. So simple (and SO hard).
We can't sit in our houses with millions of square meters per individual and text each other when we need contact and then talk worriedly about mental illness.
No matter how I twist and turn it, the bottom line is that the quote is true and we have to start living accordingly. We don't have to move into collectives the whole heap (I was very bad at that myself!) but open the doors and show the untidy reality for help. If there is no close family that works, look for like-minded people and give the children more close adults to bond with. (The opposite of hired staff). No one person can handle parenting all by themselves and I see no signs that we are doing well either. Do you?
*Origin unknown
