A – Z Kit

https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx_oF6Ygk4W2bFfEz-pxMG_6pJ6cPDQ8EO

Jennifer Bet-David’s got it right in this clip! The best thing that a parent can do both for herself/himself and for the child is to engage support. No matter your superpower, you in your role as a parent or caregiver can’t do everything your child needs on your own, not even if there are two of you in the same house in a joint parenting effort. You know what your child can use? A village. The mighty seven. It takes a village to raise a child and that village should have at least seven reliable members all doing something different (with a bit of overlap) to nurture the child to maturity. Let’s face it, if your primary role is to provide for the child and you are successful at a high level, then maybe someone else needs to be there to coordinate the child’s activities and attend all the performances or sports matches. Maybe someone else teaches the kid how to fight and stand up for herself. Someone else might imagine and engage in thinking play with them. Check out the list of the 26 Factors of Development, A-Z. Your first assignment is to come together with the other parent/caregiver and decide who the mighty seven are going to be. You want to vet people that are reliable and are going to stay in it, people that are consistent and do not make excuses, and most of all, people that truly care for the child and are safe. Every child needs people around them that are beneficial and not detrimental to them. Here’s a tip: no matter the relation, weigh the pros and cons. If a person’s impact is going to damage the child’s emotional anchoring, this is no good. At minimum a child needs to know that they are loved, safe from danger, secure in the relationship from abandonment or emotional neglect, good at things, worthy, able to exercise creative control over themselves and their environment, smart, ready to handle themselves in the world, esteemed, respected, genuinely liked, and cherished. The nurturers also need to instill confidence and hope in the child.

Vetting includes observing and finding evidence that demonstrates that the potential village member is going to do no harm to the child. I don’t mean that they won’t spank, pop or pinch them, I mean the type of damage that perseveres and penetrates the core. So, remember, choose people that are reliable, considerate, love the child, are fun and genuine.

Check the next post to find out the 26 Factors of Development, A-Z.