Become a Villager!

I got tired of staring at the boring ol' "Blog" title at the top of this blog. The blog needed a name and some personality -- something that embraces what They're Our Kids is all about.

Welcome, then, to The Village.

To paraphrase an African proverb, it takes a village to raise OUR KIDS. It has long been a belief of mine that no one can effectively raise a child on their own. It takes family, friends, neighbors, teachers, coaches and other role models. 

It takes an entire community.

It takes an entire community because we all have different talents, interests, areas of expertise and life experiences to share. OUR KIDS' lives are exponentially enriched by all of the villagers around them because OUR KIDS observe and learn from everyone with whom they have contact. 

OUR KIDS are exposed to new things and exciting adventures when an entire village takes an interest in their development. They're kept safe and out of trouble when an entire village keeps an eye on them. And ultimately, the village benefits when OUR KIDS grow up and become contributing villagers themselves.

This is the premise around which They're Our Kids is built. We're all members of a community, and each child in that community is one of OUR KIDS.

I envision They're Our Kids as an online village where we can all come together in one spot and learn about our schools, local events and other community resources that assist us in raising OUR KIDS. The more villagers we have seeking and sharing resources and experiences, the better.

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WE WANT YOU to become a Villager!

Now that we have our Village, we need Villagers.

Note the capital 'V' in Villagers. We're not talking about run-of-the-mill villagers now.  We're talking about the special, dedicated Villagers who cherish OUR KIDS.

Our Villagers buy into the philosophy that it takes a special, dedicated Village to raise OUR KIDS, and that the more Villagers we have seeking and sharing resources and experiences, the better for all of us.

Our Villagers are those who subscribe to our blog (note the new feature in the right-hand column of this blog and on our home page), who spread the word about They're Our Kids and this blog to their friends and family, who "like" and share and actively participate on our Facebook page, who follow us on Twitter.

Our Villagers offer suggestions for additions to the They're Our Kids website, share kid-related resources that they find helpful so that those resources can be added to the site, and share family-friendly events in the area that they'd like other Villagers to know about.

Got some writing skills (don't worry...you don't have to be perfect -- or anywhere close to it) and a story to share with other Villagers about your experiences as a parent or something fun that you did with your kids? Contact me about submitting a guest blog entry! I'd love to read about your experiences, and I'm sure other Villagers would, too.

(Unfortunately, I cannot offer monetary compensation for guest bloggers. I don't get paid to do this, either.)

I've already had some Villagers alert me to Easter Egg hunts in Hendricks County that I didn't know about, special needs resources that they value for their own special needs kids, youth sports leagues that I didn't know existed (did you know that there's a youth LACROSSE league in Brownsburg?!), and suggestions for pages on local service clubs and local media and publications.

I LOVE the extra eyes and ears, and I want all the Villagers I can get! Together, we can cover Hendricks County like a blanket and make our Village an invaluable resource for parents in the area, as well as for parents who want to learn more about our area.

And OUR KIDS are going to be the ones who benefit.

Will you please become a Villager?

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