Bugaboo's Voices of the Village: Real families on raising a child together
Sharing stories, side by side: The togetherness it takes to raise a child
Raising a child is rarely a solo mission, and it’s never 'one-size-fits-all' — it’s shared between grandparents, co-parents, siblings, friends, chosen families, everyone who shows up for you and your baby. It really does take a village, and that village looks a little different for everyone. That's why we're introducing a new video series, 'Voices of the Village', to spotlight the unique support systems that make it all work.
We’re unveiling our new series to celebrate the launch of the Bugaboo Donkey 6 — our side-by-side pushchair designed for exactly that kind of togetherness. In this first edition, we hear from interconnecting families raising the next generation together, on their own terms.
Sharing wisdom, bonding over mutual journeys of self-acceptance, and showing their appreciation for their loving networks; here are the voices of that village.
My identity didn’t shift, but it became bigger.
First, we hear from mothers and sisters-in-law, Ziarah and Lonneke. Here, they reflect on a journey of growth, both in the devotion for their expanding villages and their appreciation for themselves as women. “My identity didn’t shift,” explains mother of two, Lonneke, “but it became bigger… You’re still you, it’s just an extra added on.”
Connecting over the sisterhood of a village, they also describe leaning on friends and being inspired by their own mums, as mother of two Ziarah praises her mum’s knack for handling chaos with creativity. And both agree that taking care of one another’s kids has amplified their ability to love: “It’s so deep what I feel for your children, for my children,” says Ziarah.
Join Ziarah and Lonneke in the video below as they share their unwavering trust for one another as aunts, applaud their newfound strength as women, and give “props to the mums” at the heart of their villages.
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When you have found your way of doing things, it gets easy.
Meet Christian and Paul, both fathers and in-laws through Christian’s partner, Manon. In this cross-generational conversation, they share their perspectives of parenthood and describe how family life has reshaped their identities.
For dad of three (one daughter and twins), Christian gives a refreshingly vulnerable take on early fatherhood, describing a fear of losing yourself. But grandfather Paul reassures that this is something you can overcome; “When you have found your way of doing things, it gets easy.”
The dads also credit fatherhood and their partners’ families for unlocking more emotional sides of themselves; “It’s the most beautiful thing,” describes Christian. And Paul acknowledges his wife's village for doing the same; “Babs and her family, and the way they had their family, that changed me a lot.”
Watch Paul and Christian hug it out over the lessons learned when villages come together and agree that the magic of fatherhood lies in the little things; from being proud of your kids’ paintings to simply watching them walk down the street.
Love is giving someone else the space to be himself or herself.
To conclude the first of our ‘Voices of the Village’ series, we hear from grandmothers Helen and Babs. On meeting, they discover similarities in their parenting styles and find that themes of self-acceptance are mirrored in their unique journeys.
Babs describes how her mother taught her that “love is giving someone else the space to be himself or herself.” She was eager to pass this wisdom on to her children and is comforted to see it in their parenting styles today.
Helen, mother to Ziarah and her two siblings, evokes the beauty of being able to change the narrative as a parent, sharing how she was determined to teach the importance of self-love. “I want my children to accept themselves the way they are,” explains Helen, “I’m proud of who they are.”
Listen to Helen and Babs discuss how grandmotherhood has redefined the dynamics of their villages as they now support their own children in nurturing the next generation.
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