“It takes a village to raise a child” is a saying that many people have heard. It’s actually an African proverb, which is not only wise but quite on point. It means there are important roles to play in the growth and development of a child that goes beyond those of the parents. Young people must interact with many individuals and institutions over the course of their childhood in order to properly mature into functioning members of society.

Love and Support

A big network of love and support can make your child feel loved and supported. This is a valuable thing that is going to help your child develop emotionally. This is an important lesson to learn because it means that your child should improve his or her emotional intelligence through these interactions.

Guided Expression

Meeting with different people, including child development professionals, can also help a child learn to communicate better. Emotions, internal struggles, and thoughts are things all human beings experience but don’t always know how to communicate. For example, a child therapist can help your child learn to communicate and could teach you how to listen at the same time. While the typical family therapy session cost varies, the cost is more than worth it. An expert on the outside looking in can provide children and their parents with valuable advice and insight on how to be a stronger family and better people in the process.

Bit of a Breather

Another reason this proverb is quite true is that raising a child is pretty hard to do on your own. This is especially true for parents working full-time jobs or multiple jobs at once. Children have a lot of energy, and they are still attempting to learn how to be good little people, but this takes a while. A lot of children just do things because they want to and haven’t learned to restrain themselves, which can make things hard for you. When you need a break, those days you have to work all day, or when an emergency comes up, you are going to feel good about having a support team you can rely on.

Social Understanding

It should also be pointed out that allowing your child to interact with people like your mail person, local police officers, the fire department, and other important members of your community can help your child understand these important roles. Allow him or her to learn what these important members of the community do and how they help others. Being able to understand social roles is an important lesson to learn, and it may help your child grow up to be a more productive member of society.

Chance to Learn

Your child may be able to develop with the help of others, but people can also teach your child different things. Obviously, teachers are going to be doing a great deal for your child, but friends, family members, and neighbors you trust all have different skills they could teach your children. No one knows everything, so being exposed to more grown-ups is like exposing your child to various teachers, and that can be good.

Giving Back

Being around other people is going to put your child in situations that allow him or her to lend a hand. Folks are going to need help at some point, and learning to be giving is definitely the kind of skill you want your child to have. This could be something your kid might not have learned if he or she wasn’t around many people. A giving person helps the world be a better place.

Hopefully, these points help you see why this proverb is spot on. Be cautious yet open to exposing your kid to many people. It may be strange at first because you are naturally protective, but it can be helpful for child development.