I have a unique situation at home. My husband and I built our house next to his parents’ house and in front of his brother’s. That means that I have a revolving door of inlaws coming in and out of my house on a daily basis. To some, this might make you cringe, but I actually embrace it wholeheartedly. I have some really fantastic inlaws.
The best part about my living situation is having the extra hands. When I pull in the yard there is almost always someone to help us unload our brood of children, groceries, diapers bags, toys, or whatever else we’re hauling. That someone is usually Robbie, my husband’s brother.
When he notices I’m gone early on a Saturday he calls to find out which park I went to so he can meet me there to lend a hand. During my most recent maternity leave he took our oldest to daycare every morning so I could rest a little more. He even came to the zoo with us to provide some extra hands, and served as a photographer for us too!
Our bedtime routine with the kids is also a feat, especially now that we’re outnumbered. We have some resemblance of routine at night, but it is not complete without Uncle Robbie. Robbie is in his late 40s, single, and childless, so my kids are his kids. And he never misses bedtime. The kids love it!
In fact, he has been known to turn down going to shoot pool with his buddy, so he could make it back for bedtime. If he’s going to be late from town, he texts to let us know. He even lays with our son to help him fall asleep at night. The only time he misses bedtime is when we go out of town or he’s sick.
My husband had the flu this past week and was quarantined and missing bedtime. Lucky for me, my third coparent didn’t miss a beat. He very much filled the void while my husband recovered. I even joked that another week like this and I may as we’ll be married to Robbie, he truly is like another parent to our kids.
Anyone that tells you it doesn’t take a village to raise a child is fooling themselves. Maybe I’m biased, but I think I have the best village there is and certainly the best third coparent.