We’ve all heard the saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ But what happens when that village no longer exists? Meet Bella, a late 20-something mom of two, who constantly complains about the lack of support from her friends and family. She believes society has become selfish and terrible, and she’s bitter that her mother won’t retire to babysit her kids for free. But when her friend finally speaks up, the conversation takes a dramatic turn.
Bella’s Bitterness
Society’s Selfishness?
No Village, No Fun
A Different Perspective
Kids as an Excuse? ♀️
The Triggering Moment ✈️
Accusations Fly ️
The Village Vanished, but Is It for the Better? ️ ♀️
Bella, a mom of two, is fed up with the lack of support from her friends and family, blaming society’s selfishness. But when her friend speaks up, she reveals that the ‘village’ Bella misses was built on the unpaid labor of women. As a childfree woman, she’s glad to be free from those social obligations. Bella accuses her friend of being selfish and a bad feminist, but is it really so black and white? Let’s dive into the top responses from the internet and see what they think!
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Unpaid women’s labor relied on for child-rearing. Friend not ready.
NTA commenter sympathizes with friend’s lack of support network.
Parenting is not ‘suffering’, NTA for setting boundaries.
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Parenting struggles: Is expecting help from others justified?
Not everyone had the ‘village’ support, NTA for feeling ungrateful
Childfree person defends themselves against unfair accusations.
Friend expects self-sacrifice without reciprocation. NTA.
Historical context refutes friend’s ‘village’ parenting justification. NTA.
Parenting rant sparks debate over ‘village’ expectations
Parent rejects one-way street ‘village’ model. NTA.
User defends friend’s lack of ‘village’ help, calls out parenting.
Parent struggles with no support, but individualism over community sucks
Friend complains about lack of ‘village’ but didn’t help build one NTA
Suggest a fun day out to help her feel supported ❤️
Grandparent explains parental responsibility, but willing to help in emergencies
Misuse of African proverb sparks unnecessary argument. ESH
Being single has its own pros and cons. NTA.
Mother’s ‘village’ complaint met with NTA response and a valid question.
Single parent shares how to create a village for support
Parenting restrictions or entitled friend?
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Debate on feminist perspectives: capitalist vs communist ideals
Projection and lack of compassion result in ESH judgement
Creating a village with other parents is better
Friend calls out commenter for lack of empathy and support
Friend wants a ‘village’ to raise her kids? Commenter says NTA
The ‘village’ is for survival and mental health, not freebies.
No obligation to provide free child care. NTA
Friend is entitled, but commenter acknowledges societal issues with individualism.
Retirement age increase affects ‘village’ support, NTA for friend.
Parenting responsibility: NTA, but ‘the village’ is overrated
Navigating the trenches of motherhood and friendship
Choosing not to have kids doesn’t make you a free nanny . NTA.
Debunking the myth of ‘the Village’ with a heartwarming example ❤️
Friend complains too much, but community support is important
Choosing to have kids doesn’t entitle you to help. ♀️ NTA.
ESH. Friend complains about lack of ‘village’ help, but misunderstands concept.
Entitled friend complains about lack of ‘village’ help. ESH.
User argues for the benefits of a ‘village’ community.
Misunderstanding ‘the village’: ESH sounds selfish in parenting expectations. ♀️
Friend regrets motherhood, child suffers. NTA for speaking up.
Harsh comment suggests parenting regret.
The downside of ‘The Village’: free help but constant meddling.
Insensitive comment to struggling mom? YTA, according to replies.
Creating your own ‘village’ is key to getting help
Agreeing with the commenter’s NTA stance on parenting expectations
Misunderstanding ‘the village’ concept
Parenting choice reminder sparks debate on community support.
Empathetic response to friend’s struggle with motherhood and isolation.
Choosing to be child-free is selfless, not selfish. NTA.
Kindness begets kindness, and ‘the village’ exists in echoes and ripples. #NTA
No free childcare? No friendship. ♀️
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Defending the concept of ‘the village’ and its benefits.
Nostalgia for the ‘village’ is misplaced, says commenter.
Friend expects too much from others to help with her kids.
US lacks services for new mothers, Denmark has better support
User calls out entitled friend for expecting ‘village’ help.
Not everyone has a supportive ‘village’ for raising kids
Building a village takes effort, but it’s worth it
Empathetic comment receives appreciation for childless woman’s perspective
Childless people need support too, NTA points out.
Parents just want a break sometimes
Gender debate and unrealistic expectations lead to AH behavior.
NTA. Friend wants a ‘village’ but expects too much from others.
Is individualism in America incompatible with feminism? #ESH
Parent laments loss of freedom, but not an a**hole. Fair.
Friendly reminder: ‘village’ parenting is not a free nanny service
Friend expects free childcare from ‘village’, commenter calls out entitlement
NTA. ‘The village’ never meant free childcare for lazy parents
Friend wants ‘village’ help but doesn’t want to listen. NTA.
Building a village requires mutual investment and support. #NTA
Blunt comment defends against friend’s entitlement. NTA wins.
Choosing to be a parent doesn’t entitle you to help
Childfree commenter applauds OP for rejecting ‘village’ expectations.
Entitled parent-to-be bemoans lack of ‘village’ help
Friend pressured to do things for free, NTA for refusing.
Mid-50s commenter sympathizes with NTA and slams entitled friend
Mom’s ‘village’ expectations questioned by commenter.
Parenting is a choice, no one owes you a ‘village’
Parenting is hard in America due to capitalism and isolation.
The ‘village’ mentality is a thing of the past. NTA.
