Supportive relationships give mothers and children people they can trust, who can help them, and to whom they can turn during difficult seasons. While parents are the support team behind their kids, it’s also true that moms do better when they are surrounded by a trusted community. Moms often report feeling lonely, and that loneliness tends to affect them emotionally and physically.
I’ve seen this need for community in my own life, and I’ve seen it in many of the mothers I’ve met. I’ve met moms carrying circumstances I can hardly imagine, yet still worrying about their children, dreaming about their futures, and trying to give them hope. I’ve also met moms in my own community who may have every material resource they need but are carrying their own private insecurities, heartbreak, and loneliness.
The circumstances are different. The need for community isn’t.
So build a network of family friends. And don’t just accumulate friendships, lean on them. Ask for help when you need it. Offer help when you can. Share meals together and model hospitality for your children.
Back-to-school season is a great reminder that we were never meant to do this alone. When moms are in “go mode,” juggling schedules, practices, homework, and school supplies, community is what helps us move from simply surviving to thriving.
This is deeply biblical, after all. The church has been profoundly communal from its earliest days, offering material and emotional resources to those who need them as they need them. And that’s in part because God designed us to live, eat, work, and worship together.
The ways we share our lives don’t need to be big production, either. It can be as simple as a movie night, a pool hangout, or a coffee date after school. Little gestures sustained over time help build the trust kids and moms really need.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Mayur Kakade
