For today’s ‘blog once a day in the month of Feburary,’ I, once again, decided to use NaBloPoMo’s Prompt of the day: “Do you live close to your family?”

I love today’s prompt because as a new parent having your family nearby is so important! My husband and are from the same town, we both went away to college (eventually graduating from the same school) in San Diego, and after brief moments of living in the Valley and San Diego again, we finally made our home back in the same town we grew up in. When we made the decision to purchase a home, before we had a child, living as far away from our parents but in the same City was definitely part of our decision making process. We chose a location that is about 15 minutes away from either set of parents, which is just enough time for them to come over without just ‘popping in’. I guess it was just as important for us to grow on our own without our parents always looking over us. But now that WE are parents, I sometimes wish that our parents were only walking distance away. Funny how things change! We are so lucky to have family to watch our son when we need or want to go do things without him. Never really having to worry about a babysitter. When the time comes to move one day, both my husband and I agree that if we lived even closer to our families it would be a good thing, especially because the location of homes we might be interested in are much closer to both of our families. This is not only important for day to day events but also for the holidays when you need to be more than one place at the same time. We can easily drive around our town and visit with our families but for the most part we LOVE having them all over at our house so that they can all be under one roof. I know I’ve said this over and over again but my son is SO lucky to already be so close with his grandparents.

I’d recommend if you have the choice, to make your home, once you decide to have kids or soon after your kids are born, close by at least one family member. The bond that your child builds with his or her family is invaluable! My son won’t have any close cousins (since our siblings are much younger than us) but he will have lots of grandparents and aunts and an uncle who loves him very much!