I Was Just Trying to Get Kids Outside. Apparently I Am Building a Village.

A few weeks ago, Louissaint, our Gym Poussette coach, said something that made me think.

We were talking, and I mentioned that I had brought all the kids in my building along to Gym Poussette.

He said something along the lines of, “It’s nice what you’re doing for your neighbors. People used to have a village. These days, most people don’t.”

And I remember thinking, huh. I hadn’t looked at it that way.

In my head, I just wanted people to join in and have fun exercising together. Gym Poussette helped me a lot when I first arrived in Switzerland and didn’t know anyone yet.

I’m also that friend. Ask me to go for a fun 10 km run and I’ll be absolutely there.

I do have one small problem, though. I need people around me to exercise. If I’m alone, I go illiterate.

One, two, ten. Done.

Yes, I cheat. A lot.

But put me in a group and suddenly I can count again. Amazing what a little peer pressure can do.

Anyway, my point is that I know how much it helps to have people around you. And I like being that person for someone else when I can.

One neighbor has a newborn, so let me take your older child along. Another is a single mother of two, so let me bring your kids to the activity, even if you don’t feel like exercising yourself.

But honestly, my main motivation was much simpler. I wanted the kids in my building to play outside instead of spending their mornings in front of a screen. Get everyone together, let them run around, and hopefully tire them out enough that their parents could enjoy five minutes of peace.

I wasn’t trying to solve a social problem. I just wanted everyone to get out of the house and have fun.

Then something happened that made me think Louissaint might have a point.

First, let me explain Gym Poussette.

Gym Poussette is a stroller fitness class running in more than eighteen cities across Switzerland. You bring your baby or toddler, exercise outdoors, and meet other parents along the way.

Louissaint is the coach, and he’s genuinely brilliant at bringing people together. He has this energy and charisma that makes you want to join in. I wish I had that kind of energy. Honestly, some mornings, getting myself and my child out of the house feels like a major achievement.

Here’s a video of me doing the class, in case you’re curious about what it looks like.

Please ignore my double chin. I have no idea when it decided to join the class, but there it is. 🤣

Four kids? Sure, why not.

The other night, I was chatting with my new friend from Eritrea. I was telling her how much I love Gym Poussette, how much fun it is to get out, exercise, and meet people.

Then she said, “But I have three kids.”

I wasn’t sure whether she was explaining why she couldn’t come or just pointing out a small logistical issue.

Either way, I said, “Don’t worry. I’ll bring the kids in my building. Four kids, every time. You’re going to be fine. The kids will have fun, and so will you. That’s the point.”

Yes, that was my actual response.

Apparently, I now run a small transportation service for children. I haven’t worked out the logistics yet, but the enthusiasm is definitely there.

She went quiet for a moment and then said, “It’s nice to have a neighbor like you.”

I got awkward, obviously. I’m never quite sure what to do when someone says something nice about me. 😳😅

And then I thought about what Louissaint had said.

Oh. Right. The village thing.

Maybe this is how it starts.

If you’ve moved to another country, you know that you have to build a lot of things from scratch. Friendships, routines, a sense of where you belong. Even the little things, like knowing who you can call when you need a hand.

You can have a home, a job, kids in school, and a calendar full of things to do, and still not have anyone nearby you feel comfortable asking for help.

And making friends as an adult is a whole other adventure. You can’t exactly walk up to someone at the supermarket and say, “Hi, would you like to be part of my support network?”

Although, honestly, maybe some of us should try.

So you start small. You talk to other parents. You invite people to things. You share information about activities. You offer to help when you can.

Sometimes, without really planning it, those little things turn into friendships. The kids get to know each other. Parents start making plans. You have someone to message when you find a good activity or when you desperately need to know where to buy something in this country.

I hadn’t thought about any of that when I started bringing the kids in my building along. I just wanted them to play outside.

But maybe the village doesn’t have to arrive fully formed. Maybe it starts with a neighbor who tells you about a class, invites you along, or offers to bring your kids because she thinks everyone will have a good time.

We are all immigrants here.

In our little corner of Switzerland, some of us have been here longer than others. Some of us are still figuring things out. Some have three kids and a neighbor who apparently thinks four is a perfectly reasonable number to bring to a fitness class.

And maybe that’s the point. We don’t all have to do the same thing for each other. Sometimes it’s sharing an activity. Sometimes it’s looking after someone’s child for a couple of hours. Sometimes it’s just being the person who makes the first move.

This is something I write about in both Maternity Abroad and Parenting Unpacked: how important it is to build your village when you’re pregnant or already raising children far from the people who would normally be your support network.

It doesn’t happen automatically. You have to find your people, invite them in, and sometimes show up with four kids to make it work.

If any of this feels familiar, you can read the first forty pages of both books for free. 💛

If you’re in Switzerland and have a baby or toddler, check out Gym Poussette. You get to exercise, meet other parents, and get out of the house. Honestly, that’s already a pretty good deal.

Jessica Gabrielzyk