Becoming a parent is a life-altering experience. Embarking on the journey of parenthood is transformative. The journey changes the person in every way imaginable; it touches every aspect of life. From everyday mundane things like what you eat, when you sleep, and who you hang out with to the big picture stuff like life goals, personal finances, and career goals, things change very fast and drastically. 

In an ever-changing world, these changes that parenting brings can be stressful. That is exactly why the African proverb reminds us that it takes a village to raise a child. Unfortunately, though, most parents never find themselves in such a ‘village’ of care and support. And the consequences of such a situation are costly for the parents and the children, and the community that is responsible for the situation.

Too many studies point out how significant the early years of a child are. This has further increased the stress and responsibility on parents, exactly when the cost of living has increased so much that both parents have to work just to cover basic needs, and the extended family/network of support is disappearing. The solution or the only support society seems to offer cannot be more responsibilities and more stress for parents. 

The solution to these challenges cannot seem to be conceived in artificial intelligence, machine learning, or neural networks; even if these present a solution by any stretch of the imagination, it will take another eternity to make it viable. Instead, the more viable opportunity stares at us from our collective pasts, from the wisdom that stood the test of time. ‘It takes a village to raise a child’. Let us raise our current society to raise our children and support our parents.