Taylor Swift Baby News (Sort Of!)

Taylor Swift Baby News

The ever talented and generally awesome Jamie King is pregnant with her second child—and she’s designated one of her best friends (and you know, international mega-star) Taylor Swift as the babe’s godmother. Taylor announced her big news to her fans via Instagram with a super cute pic (does she ever not look super cute?!). I’m so excited for both of them, and have been thinking a lot about godparents in general.

I think that as people become less and less religious, the idea of naming godparents has lost a bit of its popularity—but I’d love to see it make a comeback. See, the thing is, being a godparent doesn’t have to be a religious/spiritual thing. Of course that’s the traditional role—to help with the child’s religious upbringing and spiritual wellbeing, but if you take religion out of it, there’s still a lot that a godparent can offer in your child’s life. First off, it’s important to know that your child has someone involved in their life who is willing to take on their care if something were to ever happen to you. Grim to think about? Sure. But totally important.

Besides that, I think godparents provide a bit of a safety latch for children as they grow up and encounter confusing or difficult situations. There will be many times in your child’s life where he will need a lot of support and guidance, and having a community of loved ones around who have his best interest in mind can make all the difference in the world. There’s a reason I tell my clients to start creating their “tribe” or community of supporters during pregnancy, and I see no reason why that tribe shouldn’t continue to exist and grow throughout your journey as a parent.

There will come a time that our children will need other influencers/role models than just us, and it is important they are surrounded by a community to adults who can spread the same morals and messaging as you but who are not mom and dad. Sometimes kids need to hear life’s important lessons from someone else. This notion of moral advisor and leader is paramount in godparents and so, religious or not, choose people not because they are a good friend of yours or a relation but because they would be a good guide for your child in years to come. That said, definitely explain what this responsibility means when you ask someone if they will be the godparent! It’s an absolute honor, but also quite a responsibility.

Do your kids have godparents? Will they? And, um, is it just me, or is Taylor Swift going to be the coolest godmother since Cinderella? Get talking!