Even when a couple ends a relationship amicably, divorces are hard and unpleasant. But things can become even more complicated if the couple has a child. This is a scenario Hayley Booth and her ex-husband Caleb Quattrone know all too well.
Since she was 15-months-old, their daughter Rachel Elizabeth has had not only a mother and father but also a step-mom and step-dad playing active roles in her life.
And while it may not have always been easy, now both sets of Rachel’s parents are together killing the co-parenting game!
Last month, Hayley shared a very special photo of her with Rachel’s step-mom walking her to class on her first day of school. The caption was so powerful, it resonated with thousands of people around the world:
Facebook
Often times I have people ask me how my ex, his wife, my husband and I co-parent so flawlessly. My answer is always the same– We just love our daughter.
Seriously, it’s just that simple.
No child deserves to be tossed around back and forth, used as a bargaining chip, or to be put in the middle of any adult drama. She didn’t choose to be born, and she certainly never chose for her parents to get divorced.
Why would we make her life harder by making her choose which set of parents to love?
My daughter calls her bonus mommy ‘Mommy’.. and you know what? That’s okay, because that’s what she is to her, she IS her mommy. She is there for always, she takes care of her, she plays with her, she teaches her life lessons and how she should behave, she gives her hugs and kisses goodnight, she does everything any mother would do.. But most of all she loves her like she is her own. It takes a very special woman to take a child that they didn’t give birth to, under their wing and become their mother.
I see so many women say ‘I would never let my child call another woman mom or mommy, because she’s NOT her mom, I am!’
Well you know what? If you are lucky enough for your ex to have a woman who loves YOUR child or children like their own, and one who helps raise them and shape them, why would you not allow them to call a woman they love mommy?
I would never tell my daughter she can’t call her bonus mommy ‘mommy’ because it would hurt her deeply. She is her mommy not only when she spends time with her dad, but all the time.
Sometimes you just have to put the petty little things aside, to raise your child to be the amazing human being they are meant to be.
My daughter isn’t the only one who loves her bonus mommy, I love her too. She’s become one of my best friends and I rely on her for many things. She is one of the strongest people I know, and I am thankful for her everyday.
Don’t tell me that peaceful co-parenting isn’t possible, because it is.
It takes a village to raise a child, and I am beyond thankful for my village!
What a beautiful example of love– this is what family is all about.
Share this mom’s inspiring words with your friends today.
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