Rhaina Cohen, an NPR producer and author focused on friendship's role in life, discusses her findings on friend-powered parenting. Alongside Phil Levin, founder of Live Near Friends, they explore communal living's emotional and practical benefits for parents. They share personal stories revealing how raising children with friends alleviates isolation, fosters support, and builds lasting connections. The conversation touches on the evolving complexities of shared parenting and the transformative potential of community ties in enhancing family life.
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Friends Moving for Parenting Support
Charlotte and Raffi moved next door to their best friends from Boston to D.C. for better friendship and parenting support.
Their prior efforts to maintain friendship over distance were burdened by logistical challenges like babysitting and travel.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Living With Friends' Kids
Rhaina Cohen lived with two friends with kids, enjoying more intimacy and relationship building with children.
Kids gave them nicknames and developed strong bonds despite Rhaina not being a parent herself.
insights INSIGHT
Rethinking Norms for Families
Friend-based parenting challenges the narrow norms about acceptable living and parenting structures.
Recognizing alternative family models can free us from limitations imposed by traditional social expectations.
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Pippi Longstocking is a children's novel that follows the adventures of Pippi, a nine-year-old girl with wild red pigtails and long mismatched stockings. Her mother died when she was a baby, and her father, a sea captain, is lost at sea. Pippi lives in Villa Villekulla with her monkey, Mr. Nilsson, and her horse. She befriends the neighboring children, Tommy and Annika Settergren, and together they have various adventures. Pippi is known for her physical strength, unconventional behavior, and her ability to defy societal norms. The book explores themes of family, gender, society, and education through Pippi's unique and liberated lifestyle.
The Other Significant Others
Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center
Rhaina Cohen
In 'The Other Significant Others,' Rhaina Cohen delves into the lives of individuals who have prioritized deep friendships as their primary life partnerships. Through personal narratives, historical insights, and social science research, Cohen examines how these relationships defy conventional societal norms. The book features stories of friends who are co-homeowners, co-parents, and caregivers, illustrating the various forms of profound connection that can anchor our lives. Cohen argues that by expecting too much from romantic relationships and too little from friendships, we undermine both. Her work encourages readers to broaden their understanding of meaningful relationships and to recognize the transformative power of authentic, platonic connections[2][3][5].
NPR’s Rhaina Cohen has taken a close look at friend-powered parenting, joining shared households to see how neighbor-and-friend alliances can break the isolation of modern parenthood. We’ll talk about the challenges of communal living and what parents gain—emotionally, practically, even financially—when they raise their kids with their friends. Cohen’s recent piece for the Atlantic is “A Grand Experiment in Parenthood and Friendship.” Would you raise your kids with your best pals?
Guests:
Rhaina Cohen, producer and editor for the NPR Documentary podcast Embedded; author of "The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center" and the Atlantic piece, "A Grand Experiment in Parenthood and Friendship"
Phil Levin, founder, Live Near Friends - helps people live right next door to friends and family
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