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- I’m from France, and my husband is from New Mexico. We are raising our child in Florida with no family nearby. (businessinsider.com)
A Transatlantic Family Navigates Parenthood Without Nearby Relatives
Virginie Romary, originally from eastern France, and her husband, a native of New Mexico, chose to settle in Florida after meeting there, largely due to his career in the marine industry. Their daughter, now nine years old, was born in Fort Lauderdale and is being raised in a place far from both sets of grandparents-her mother’s family is a ten-hour flight away in France, and her father’s relatives are six hours away in New Mexico.
This geographical distance means no spontaneous babysitting or immediate family help during emergencies or everyday parenting demands. “We’re on our own,” Virginie explains, whether it’s for a night out or if one of them falls ill. Recognizing the challenges, they have worked hard to build their own support network and maintain strong connections with their families despite the miles.
The Early Days: A Testing Time
The initial months following their daughter’s birth were especially difficult. Without family nearby to share the load, Virginie found herself navigating sleepless nights alone, while her husband juggled long work hours.
Having recently relocated from France and with few local friends, the isolation was both mentally and physically exhausting. As a communications manager used to unpredictable work hours, Virginie decided to delay returning to work to focus on her daughter and seek support.
Building a “Chosen Village”
Living in a diverse Florida community where many parents face similar circumstances, Virginie and her husband connected with other families who also lack nearby relatives. Their daughter’s involvement in Cub Scouts provided another avenue for community building-weekend camping trips with other families have fostered strong bonds and mutual trust.
This network has become essential: parents help one another with emergency childcare, overnight stays for breaks, and school pickups, creating a collaborative environment that eases the pressures of parenting far from family.
Keeping Family Connections Alive
Despite the distance, maintaining their daughter’s connection to her heritage is a priority. Each summer, Virginie takes her daughter to France for a month, followed by a two-week visit with her father’s family in New Mexico.
Although the parents cannot take the entire summer off together, these trips enable their daughter to form meaningful relationships with both sides of her family. They acknowledge that this might become more challenging during her teenage years, so they cherish these opportunities now.
During holidays, the family often reunites in either France or New Mexico, deliberately choosing these meaningful destinations over other travel options. To bridge the gap between visits, they hold weekly video calls, though their daughter prefers more personal ways of connecting. Sharing family stories and speaking French at home help nurture her sense of identity and keep her close to her roots.
While their daughter may not have extended family living nearby, Virginie and her husband have ensured she knows she is deeply loved and supported by relatives both near and far.