My Coworkers

We’ve all heard that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, in the Silicon Valley it takes an entire peninsula. Anyone would be impressed by the overwhelming number of activities and resources available to parents in Palo Alto. But the best resources are our fellow mothers, fathers and nannies – aka “mommy friends.”

Although there are world-class activities just around the corner, I find myself driving to San Francisco, Mountain View, Half Moon Bay and everywhere in between to hang out with the mommy friends I’ve grown nearest and dearest to.

These are the mommy friends who forgive you when you don’t notice a new haircut or glasses.

The mommy friends who listen to you rant weekly about your kid’s sleeping, eating, and teething habits.

These are the mommy friends who understand why you need a babysitter, nanny or morning off even though you are “just a stay-at-home mom.”

These are the mommy friends who “ooh” and “aah” at your little one’s milestones. Be it as minuscule as trying a new food or as monumental as walking.

These are the mommy friends who remind us that we aren’t terrible mothers when our babies only eat cheerios for a week, don’t sleep through the night, or scream their faces off in Whole Foods. We’ve all been there.

These are the mommy friends who’ve heard birth stories countless times, but will listen to each other retell them over and over again whenever the topic arises (and during the first year, it always arises).

These are the mommy friends who are our better judgment when we are sleep deprived. There are days when all we can do is drag ourselves out of bed. There is no possibility of intellectual conversation coming out of our mouths, but these mommy friends enjoy our company anyway.

These are the mommy friends who will raise your child with you. So although challenging at times, what better way to spend our days than driving all over the peninsula to be surrounded by support, love, tears, and, of course, laughter.