It Takes A Village

It’s true, us Hispanic women are very independent, have strong opinions, and we can do everything ourselves. We are too proud to ask for any help. Boy, has this changed for me in the last 3-4 years. If you’ve ever seen the Luvs commercials where the mom is super protective of her first child, and then she’s more relaxed with the second. That was me! It was really toward the end of my pregnancy with my second child, Luke, where I had to suck up my pride and let others help me. 

My husband’s parents live an hour and a half away and my mom lives four hours away, so we are used to doing the day to day stuff on our own, but boy oh boy would we be absolutely lost without them. Fast forward to 2016 and now I truly realize it does take a village to raise kids these days. We could not do this life without them and their help. 

Seeing other families I realize how maybe it was just meant to be that God chose us to be parents for 4 kids so young and close in age. Honestly, it’s no easy task to watch our kids. It’s tough for one person to watch all of them. We’ve never gotten a babysitter for this exact reason. You need two people to be able to complete all tasks before bed…feed, bathe, play, and put to bed. Easier said than done.

Having people that can help you is one of the most important things you need to find for your family, for you, and your marriage. It’s not always family too. Some people don’t have family close by. It can be a friend, neighbor, or babysitter. If it’s a babysitter that always helps you and gets you out of binds then make sure you pay them accordingly and maybe give them a tip at the end of the night to let them know you are so thankful that they were able to come on such short notice. Make sure you communicate to them how much they mean to you and that you are so appreciative of their help.

I can tell you about the time in January where it was my and Dustin’s 5th anniversary. Elise was 3, Luke was almost 2, and the twins were 5 months old. We knew there was no way we could go anywhere…especially overnight, because it’s was just too hard to find someone to watch the kids. The twins were both still waking up at night as well. And you know what? Dustin’s mom and her 3 sisters came to our house for the night. One sister that lives in Flordia, one in South Louisiana, and one in Alexandria.
How amazing is that?! What about the time that Dustin and I had to both go out of town for 2 days for work. This would not have been possible without Dustin’s mom and his sister that came to our house to help with the kids. And lastly, I won a scholarship to go to Denver, CO for a work Leadership Conference. Dustin really wanted to come with me and you know what? Dustin’s mom AND my mom have been watching our kids for the last 4 days. 

Seriously, we are so blessed! It is so important to me to make sure I learn as much as I can to help me succeed in not only my personal life but my professional life as well. This whole blog is about empowering women to fulfill their dreams and that motherhood should not stop you of your dreams. BUT this could NOT be possible with other’s help. From Dustin being super supportive of my dreams and ambitions to our family that is always willing to help us with the kids when we ask.

Our marriage wouldn’t be where it is today if it weren’t for the date nights we have when someone helps us with the kids or this trip to Colorado. I cannot tell you the last time Dustin and I have talked this much in the last 6 months. And lately, our careers wouldn’t be where they are either. These types of opportunities do not come around often and we are so thankful for everyone that pitches in to help with our kids. We hope that one day we will truly able to repay them for everything they have done.

So, if you have anyone in your life that supports you and helps you with your family, please remember to thank them and show your gratitude to them. Because in our household, it truly does take a village to raise a family.