I Was Told There'd Be a Village
Transforming Motherhood through the Power of Connection
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Melissa Wirt recounts her journey and dozens of others in building a supportive “village” to transform oppressive, solitary motherhood into a connected—even joyful—endeavor.
Melissa Wirt thought she had everything—she'd built her own company and moved to a beautiful farm with her family. Then during a personal crisis, she realized that despite having created an online community reaching thousands of moms, she’d also somehow, become utterly isolated.
In I Was Told There'd Be a Village, Melissa leads us through the small changes she made to seek out connection. She also recounts how she talked to mothers from across the country, and soon saw that the beliefs keeping each of us parenting solo – I don’t have time; my life is too messy – were also keeping us from accessing our most powerful resource: each other. The stories she uncovered, combined with her own, became a foundation for slowly building back community.
That journey starts with an intentional shift from an isolation mindset to a village mindset. It might be as simple as smiling at the mom next to you at story-time or sending a quick text to a friend. But it can be much bigger, eventually growing into a thriving, supportive community. Motherhood shouldn’t be this hard, and it doesn’t have to be. Here, at last, is a roadmap for finding your village.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lamenting how a "hyper-individualist mindset" leaves parents overworked and overwhelmed, Wirt, founder of breastfeeding apparel company Latched Mama and a mother of six, debuts with an empathetic guide encouraging mothers to find support in communities. The first step toward connecting with others is putting oneself out there, Wirt contends, suggesting that readers might arrive early when picking kids up from sports practice or day care to chat with other parents. Wirt shares stories that illustrate the benefits of banding together, as when she describes how one woman overcame her shyness and joined a moms' group that provided valuable advice on breastfeeding at the office and reassurance that she wasn't the only one to sometimes lose her temper at her newborn's incessant crying. Surveying how readers might show up for other mothers, Wirt proposes dropping off food, hosting group playdates, sharing advice, and giving away old toys or clothes, which will set a precedent and prompt other moms to help out in turn. Wirt makes clear that such practices are no substitute for affordable childcare and universal pre-K, but in the meantime, the compassionate advice will help lessen the stresses of motherhood. It's a heartening take on the rewards of community.
