Having family around is no doubt very important and the Mom Squad Moms are so lucky to have a lot of family around. So with Grandparents Day this past weekend, the Mom Squad shares the importance having relatives in our kids lives.
Bethany:
We are lucky to have my husband’s family so close by. They all live locally and are all happy to help out when we need it. We see each other often and spend too. We also have a family tradition of together every year for a week around the 4th of July.
Last year we started the weekly tradition of meeting up for trivia night together. It may sound strange to some, but it’s really fun. The kids get to spend time with their Gramma, Grampa, and Auntie Lori. Even my cousin Josh comes out with us almost every week, and our nieces and nephew and his wife join in whenever they can. It’s a great way for us to all play a fun game, , and catch up with each other.
My family is a lot more scattered around the country though. So, I post lots of pictures and videos on Facebook for them to see. In fact, when I haven’t posted anything for a long time, my little sister (Auntie Mandy) and my Mom (Grammy) get on me about it.
When Claire was born my Mom lived in Southern Missouri. She came out for her birth and as often as she could after that. We even went to see her once when Claire was about 10 months old. But, it wasn’t enough and she always felt like she was missing out. So we started “Operation Move Grammy Closer.” It took a lot of planning, but we got her out here.
Now she lives about an hour away. It’s still further than she would like, but is a lot better than it was before! She comes over every few weeks to see the kids, she’s able to come and babysit when I have an appointment or for our , and we go to her house for visits too.
My Dad and sisters have all come out for visits and hopefully will be able to visit again soon. I really want our kids to know and be close to my side of the family too, but it’s difficult when they live so far away.
Claire and Joey love spending time with their Grandparents, Aunties, Uncle, and cousins. We feel so lucky that they all adore our kids too. Actually, they all pretty much spoil them whenever they can!
Nicole:
This is an appropriate time for Grandparents Day to be rolling around. We recently had a tick crisis in our yard (in Campbell for pete’s sake, how does that happen??) and when I found one on my son, I said heck no, I’m outta here! Luckily enough, my parents live a half an hour up the road and I was there in a heartbeat. They welcomed our family without question and we crashed into their lives, turned their house upside down, and they loved every second of it.
I’ve always been close with my parents. Even during the tumultuous teenage years, I loved hanging out at home with my family. I have two older sisters, who are both married with children and we’re all very close. Even if we don’t see each other as often as I would like, I can always count on one of them to help us out.
When I found out I was pregnant with Evie, I knew my family would be an integral part of raising my children. I feel as though I had a big hand in helping raise my niece and nephew and I knew that my family would be the same for me. My kids love my nieces and nephew so much that when they walk in the room it’s INSTANT smiles from both my kids. The second we pull up in front of my parents house, both my kids start chattering about Mop and Pop (which is what my parents are called) and when we have to leave any family get together, there are always tears because they don’t want to leave. And I find myself SO lucky because not everyone has that relationship with their family.
My parents take my kids overnight quite frequently. And my sister, although they have their own kids and own busy schedules, will take or watch my kids whenever they can. My niece and nephew are old enough to watch my kids alone which also comes in very handy when no one else is available. It’s more than just me and my husband raising my kids, there is a large family involved in raising them as well.
And I absolutely cannot forget my wonderful in laws. My husbands parents and sister and our brother in law live in New York. While we don’t to see them nearly as much as we’d like to, I think we really make it work. We try not to go more than a few months without seeing them and we do at least one web chat with my in laws every week. My kids LOVE their Cappy, Gram, Auntie Cake and Uncle Kevin. When we’re all together, its so amazing and they have such a great relationship with our kids. I have even them alone with the kids which a lot of people gasp at because I think a lot of people don’t get along with their in laws like I do. I believe them to be 100% my family, not my in laws. They are my parents and sister and brother, not just my husbands and I feel so grateful for our relationship with them.
So in the end, it’s not just my husband and I raising my children, our families have a big hand in it as well and I feel incredibly lucky to have them in our lives. I could not do it without them.
Having family around is so important, whether it’s for babysitting or just having them around for support, for us Mom Squad Mom’s are thankful for our wonderful families!
Don't forget to check out Campbell Patch - Mom Squad on Facebook! We answer your questions, take your suggestions, and offer up support to our fellow Moms.
