Community as The New Extended Family Model

As the face of what constitute family changes, and as more and more people move away from their family, how can we re-think community structures to support us in the ways that extended family used to?

“It takes a village” is a line I used to hear when I first became a Mum. A Motherless Mother, with no Granny figure nipping around to make the dinner and throw a wash on. While I come from a very loving and supportive family, I was definitely on my own day-to-day with my new role!

And so it is for so many of us. And not just when it comes to parenting.

So many move away from their village/town/country. They move away from and towards a myriad of different opportunities, but many also move away from their unconditional family support.

I am a strong advocate for initiatives in which the communities in which we live can step into these roles. Formally or informally, I believe that all of us would benefit from knowing more about the people we live beside. Who is struggling how/ where? What shared resources could we pool or swap?

Back when I was a young mother and working part-time, I committed with a group of similarly challenged working mothers, that each of us would rotate an afternoon a week where one Mum took all the kids for a play date. The kids had a ball, and the other Mums were free to catch up on themselves/ the house/work. It didn’t cost us anything financially, but it saved a lot of stress knowing that there was a break on the horizon. Not to mention the mental health benefits that come from having a strong sense of community.

I believe Communities as entities in themselves will take on greater and greater importance in our lives. And I believe that the time is now to actively drive the shaping of these resources and shared agendas.

I’d love to hear any ideas you have seen work in the comments below.