{"id":1515,"date":"2025-08-23T14:29:28","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T14:29:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/?p=1515"},"modified":"2025-08-26T13:44:36","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T13:44:36","slug":"what-no-one-tells-you-about-parenting-without-family-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/what-no-one-tells-you-about-parenting-without-family-support\/","title":{"rendered":"What No One Tells You About Parenting Without Family Support"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has--font-size\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Motherhood_Without_a_Village\"><\/span>Motherhood Without a Village<br><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_42a1ee-2b, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_42a1ee-2b[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_42a1ee-2b\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_42a1ee-2b mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_42a1ee-2b[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_42a1ee-2b\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_42a1ee-2b img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_42a1ee-2b[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_42a1ee-2b\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_42a1ee-2b wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_42a1ee-2b\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-1024x724.png\" alt=\"\"><br>When people say, \u201cIt takes a village to raise a child,\u201d I finally understand what they mean. But here in Germany, raising three kids with no family around, there is no village. It\u2019s just my husband and me, doing our best to hold everything together.<br>I\u2019m not complaining, I love my family and I\u2019m grateful for what we have, but I won\u2019t deny that it\u2019s been hard.  And here\u2019s the untold truth about parenting without family support: it\u2019s lonely, it\u2019s exhausting, and no one really prepares you for it. Sometimes, I wish I had people around me, someone to step in and give me a breather, even just for a few minutes.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/what-no-one-tells-you-about-parenting-without-family-support\/#Motherhood_Without_a_Village\" >Motherhood Without a Village<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/what-no-one-tells-you-about-parenting-without-family-support\/#Raising_Kids_in_Germany_Without_Family_Support\" >Raising Kids in Germany Without Family Support<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/what-no-one-tells-you-about-parenting-without-family-support\/#Everyday_Challenges_of_Expat_Motherhood\" >Everyday Challenges of Expat Motherhood<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/what-no-one-tells-you-about-parenting-without-family-support\/#Being_a_Nigerian_Mom_in_Germany\" >Being a Nigerian Mom in Germany<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/what-no-one-tells-you-about-parenting-without-family-support\/#Holding_It_Together_Without_a_Village\" >Holding It Together Without a Village<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/what-no-one-tells-you-about-parenting-without-family-support\/#Dear_Mama_Whos_Reading_This%E2%80%A6\" >Dear Mama Who\u2019s Reading This\u2026<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_beacd8-5b_0, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_beacd8-5b_0[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_beacd8-5b_0\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_beacd8-5b_0 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_beacd8-5b_0[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_beacd8-5b_0\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_beacd8-5b_0 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_beacd8-5b_0[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_beacd8-5b_0\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_beacd8-5b_0 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_beacd8-5b_0\">The funny thing is, I actually know what having a village looks like. I saw my oldest sister have all the help she could get when she had her kids, from my parents, to our other sisters, even cousins. Heck, I was even part of it myself. So, imagine seeing all of that and knowing that all of it exists, but not being able to experience it yourself, *sigh*, LIFE!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_be5d9b-5f, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_be5d9b-5f[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_be5d9b-5f\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_be5d9b-5f mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_be5d9b-5f[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_be5d9b-5f\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_be5d9b-5f img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_be5d9b-5f[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_be5d9b-5f\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<h2 class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_be5d9b-5f wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_be5d9b-5f\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Raising_Kids_in_Germany_Without_Family_Support\"><\/span>Raising Kids in Germany Without Family Support<br><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_4a0da6-10, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_4a0da6-10[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_4a0da6-10\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_4a0da6-10 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_4a0da6-10[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_4a0da6-10\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_4a0da6-10 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_4a0da6-10[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_4a0da6-10\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_4a0da6-10 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_4a0da6-10\">The truth is, parenting without external support is a whole different reality that absolutely nothing or no one prepares you for. Every day life feels heavier,  like the time I had a dentist&#8217;s appointment with a throbbing cavity. I went to the dentist with my baby (my husband was at work), thinking she&#8217;d sleep while the doctor fixed my tooth. Well, let&#8217;s just say my baby had other plans, and I had to reschedule the appointment for another day. I went home that day and had to rely on painkillers. That day, I wished so much there was a grandma or an aunt to step in and help me.<br>I remember after each birth of my kids, it was just my husband and me, too, no mom to cook meals,  there was no casual picking up the phone to call my mom or sisters to come help us take night shifts with the baby; that just didn&#8217;t exist for us, and it still doesn&#8217;t exist.<br><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-1-724x1024.png\" alt=\"\"><br>And for years, it was like this without even the chance to reconnect with family. Upon coming to Germany, it took four years before my parents and siblings finally saw my kids, and before my kids got to see them. That distance was harder than I thought it would be, and it took about three visa rejections to get my mom to Germany finally, but I\u2019m thankful that it eventually worked out, because she was able to come over and help me when my third child was born. But you see that little pocket of support, even if it was just for a short while, it was everything to me. <\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_f279c2-34, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_f279c2-34[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_f279c2-34\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_f279c2-34 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_f279c2-34[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_f279c2-34\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_f279c2-34 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_f279c2-34[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_f279c2-34\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<h2 class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_f279c2-34 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_f279c2-34\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Everyday_Challenges_of_Expat_Motherhood\"><\/span>Everyday Challenges of Expat Motherhood<br><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has--font-size\">And here\u2019s what it\u2019s really like parenting without family support: small things that seem easy for others feel impossible for you, like date nights, those don\u2019t really exist for us. Unless we pay for a babysitter (and honestly, that\u2019s not realistic, because we&#8217;re not even rich like that), &#8220;just us\u201d time is a super rare luxury we can&#8217;t even have.<br><br>How about running errands? This one feels like military operations, haha \ud83d\ude02, I&#8217;m talking Groceries, doctor\u2019s appointments, shopping, etc everything&#8217;s done with my &#8220;battalion&#8221; in tow. As in, there\u2019s nothing like &#8220;let me leave the baby with grandma just for a bit.\u201d I must be dreaming.<br><br>And<a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychedmommy.com\/blog\/motherhood-loneliness\" data-lasso-id=\"168\"><strong> then there\u2019s the loneliness, hmmmm<\/strong><\/a>.  Not having another adult woman to chat with while the kids play, or someone to share little milestones with, is harder than I ever imagined. And to make it worse, I\u2019m a naturally reserved person; in fact, call me an introvert. I call this &#8216;worse&#8217; because making friends has never come easily to me, and living here, in Germany? It\u2019s even harder. And part of it is the language barrier, too. And I&#8217;m not even gonna lie to you, I\u2019ve been so scared to open my mouth and risk being mocked for mistakes (even though Germans don&#8217;t mock you for trying, though, they&#8217;d actually help you). So instead, I stay quiet. I keep to myself, and that just adds another layer to the isolation I feel here. <\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_100ae6-04, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_100ae6-04[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_100ae6-04\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_100ae6-04 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_100ae6-04[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_100ae6-04\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_100ae6-04 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_100ae6-04[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_100ae6-04\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_100ae6-04 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_100ae6-04\"><br><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-2-724x1024.png\" alt=\"\"><br><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_e88f46-78, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_e88f46-78[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_e88f46-78\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_e88f46-78 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_e88f46-78[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_e88f46-78\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_e88f46-78 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_e88f46-78[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_e88f46-78\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<h2 class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_e88f46-78 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_e88f46-78\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Being_a_Nigerian_Mom_in_Germany\"><\/span>Being a Nigerian Mom in Germany<br><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has--font-size\">On top of the everyday struggles, being a Nigerian mom in Germany has its unique challenges. Like I have to do my daughters\u2019 hair myself almost every week, is it wash day? Styling? Everything, because finding salons here that are inclusive for us, African girls, is almost impossible. I literally do not have the option of taking them to a salon, especially because of my location. My five-year-old longs for that salon experience because her friends in kindergarten talk about theirs all the time. Unfortunately, I can\u2019t give that to her just yet; maybe when we visit the motherland. Sometimes, even finding the right products here used to feel like hunting for treasure.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_5f0cd8-4d, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_5f0cd8-4d[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_5f0cd8-4d\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_5f0cd8-4d mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_5f0cd8-4d[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_5f0cd8-4d\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_5f0cd8-4d img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_5f0cd8-4d[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_5f0cd8-4d\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_5f0cd8-4d wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_5f0cd8-4d\">Getting Nigerian food used to be a struggle, too, though it\u2019s much better now. Still, those little things that would have been easy back home suddenly became big hurdles here.<br><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_474094-82, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_474094-82[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_474094-82\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_474094-82 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_474094-82[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_474094-82\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_474094-82 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_474094-82[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_474094-82\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<h2 class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_474094-82 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_474094-82\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Holding_It_Together_Without_a_Village\"><\/span>Holding It Together Without a Village<br><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_cb2038-11, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_cb2038-11[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_cb2038-11\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_cb2038-11 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_cb2038-11[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_cb2038-11\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_cb2038-11 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_cb2038-11[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_cb2038-11\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_cb2038-11 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_cb2038-11\">Well, this is the reality of being a mom of three in a country where you have no family, no backup, and no village, just your husband. We share the responsibilities between my husband and me, and we make it work. But some days, I really wish it wasn\u2019t always just us. <br><br>If you\u2019re a mom in a similar situation, maybe an expat mom, maybe just a mom far away from family, I want you to know you\u2019re not alone. We may not have a traditional village, but we\u2019re still showing up for our kids every single day. And that matters more than anything. And so, what I wish I knew about parenting without family support is that it isn\u2019t just about missing babysitters or extra hands. It\u2019s about a missing connection<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_d79cf7-e4_0, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_d79cf7-e4_0[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_d79cf7-e4_0\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_d79cf7-e4_0 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_d79cf7-e4_0[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_d79cf7-e4_0\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_d79cf7-e4_0 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_d79cf7-e4_0[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_d79cf7-e4_0\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<h2 class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_d79cf7-e4_0 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_d79cf7-e4_0\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dear_Mama_Whos_Reading_This%E2%80%A6\"><\/span>Dear Mama Who\u2019s Reading This\u2026<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_724574-77, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_724574-77[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_724574-77\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_724574-77 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_724574-77[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_724574-77\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_724574-77 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_724574-77[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_724574-77\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_724574-77 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_724574-77\"><br><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_b1dda6-ea, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_b1dda6-ea[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_b1dda6-ea\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_b1dda6-ea mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_b1dda6-ea[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_b1dda6-ea\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_b1dda6-ea img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_b1dda6-ea[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_b1dda6-ea\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_b1dda6-ea wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_b1dda6-ea\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-3-1-724x1024.png\" alt=\"\"><br>If you\u2019ve made it this far, maybe it\u2019s because some of my story sounds a lot like yours. Maybe you\u2019re an expat mom, or maybe you just live far from family and know what it feels like to do motherhood without a village. Either way, I want to leave you with what I tell myself every time:<br><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_c82799-c7, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_c82799-c7[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_c82799-c7\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_c82799-c7 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_c82799-c7[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_c82799-c7\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_c82799-c7 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_c82799-c7[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_c82799-c7\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_c82799-c7 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_c82799-c7\">You\u2019re not alone.<br>It might feel like everyone else has a grandma nearby, or a sister to call when they\u2019re sick, or friends to lean on, but there are so many of us quietly doing it alone. Reading this, I want you to know that God is always with you, and you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.<br><br>Your story matters.<br>Not many people talk about what it\u2019s like to raise kids abroad, or what it\u2019s like to do it without help. Sharing this is my way of saying: your feelings are valid. The loneliness is real. The weight is heavy. But that doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re failing, and remember, you&#8217;re bigger than it.<br><br>You\u2019re stronger than you realise.<br>Even though it\u2019s exhausting, you\u2019re still showing up. You\u2019re cooking, cleaning, doing school runs, braiding hair, wiping tears, and loving your babies. That\u2019s resilience, mama. And it\u2019s worth recognising and appreciating yourself for.<br><br>You don\u2019t need a perfect setup to be enough.<br>I know it\u2019s easy to look around and wish you had more support, more hands, more help. I do too, almost every day. But your kids don\u2019t see what\u2019s missing; they see you. And to them, you are their safe place, their joy, and their world.<br><br>Connection is still possible.<br>Maybe your village doesn\u2019t look traditional. Maybe it\u2019s an online community, a kind neighbour, or even words like these that remind you you\u2019re not walking this road alone. Take heart in that, even little moments of support count.<br><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_74d51b-f5, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_74d51b-f5[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_74d51b-f5\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_74d51b-f5 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_74d51b-f5[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_74d51b-f5\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_74d51b-f5 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1515_74d51b-f5[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_74d51b-f5\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading1515_74d51b-f5 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1515_74d51b-f5\">So if you\u2019re sitting there thinking, \u201cThis is me, this is what I\u2019m living,\u201d let this be your reminder: you are doing enough. You are enough. And while this road is hard, it\u2019s not one you\u2019re walking alone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Motherhood Without a Village When people say, \u201cIt takes a village to raise a child,\u201d I finally understand what they mean. But here in Germany, raising three kids with no family around, there is no village. It\u2019s just my husband and me, doing our best to hold everything together.I\u2019m not complaining, I love my family&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-mama-diary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot_20250610-1417142.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2877,"url":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/toilet-paper-roll-gingerbread-village-garland-easy-christmas-craft-for-kids\/","url_meta":{"origin":1515,"position":0},"title":"Easy Gingerbread Garland","author":"Vikki","date":"November 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I love love the Christmas season because it's when we get to spend beautiful moments with our family and close friends, drink hot chocolate together and be Santa for our kids. As parents, we know that the things that really makes this time of year beautiful is the little traditions\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PXL_20251113_1559522312-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PXL_20251113_1559522312-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PXL_20251113_1559522312-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PXL_20251113_1559522312-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PXL_20251113_1559522312-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PXL_20251113_1559522312-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1548,"url":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/7-ways-living-in-germany-has-changed-me-and-my-mindset\/","url_meta":{"origin":1515,"position":1},"title":"7 Ways Living in Germany Has Changed Me (and My Mindset)","author":"Vikki","date":"August 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"My First Culture Shocks in Germany Who knew living in Germany would be a box of many surprises for me? When I first moved to Germany, I thought I knew what to expect. But nothing really prepared me for the little daily shocks that made me stop and think, \u201cWow,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/PXL_20250419_1625077092-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/PXL_20250419_1625077092-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/PXL_20250419_1625077092-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/PXL_20250419_1625077092-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/PXL_20250419_1625077092-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/PXL_20250419_1625077092-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1515"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1585,"href":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1515\/revisions\/1585"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3craftmama.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}