Only a mother knows a mother's fondness

Wow, now that you have a baby your whole social world is changing dramatically!! Your good friends (who don’t have children yet) keep asking you to join them for a party – and you can’t because when they arrive home at 2am, you’ll be busy with your 2nd or 3rd feed for the night. And when you take your baby to meet your work buddies they show no interest in listening to your tales of teething and milestones!

However in order to be an effective parent you need to ensure that your needs as a person are also met and that includes having friends with whom to share both the joys and trials of motherhood. Well it’s time to cultivate new relationships – with other moms.

Fortunately there are wonderful places where you can meet moms including:

• Ante-natal classes

• Massage classes

• Mother-baby support/ prayer groups

• Mom and baby workshops

• Music classes and more.

What are the benefits for mom of joining a group?

• Empathetic support from moms who are going through the same experiences

• Moms share great ideas and suggestions that have worked for them for teething, sleeping, feeding

• Moms pass on news about new products, shops and venues

• Personal recommendations from other moms for baby related services like clinic sisters

• Meeting moms with whom you can arrange to have coffee and play dates. (There are many examples of moms who have met at mom and baby groups still getting together regularly years later!)

• Babies or toddlers in a group are usually of similar age, which facilitates socialising together.

• Moms get ideas on how to stimulate baby in an age appropriate way and advice re baby’s development.

• Moms with older children can meet new friends with babies the same age as their youngest child

• It is an opportunity to spend quality time with your child.

• It provides a safe environment for mom to explore her emotions and share difficult times.

• It is a place where your role as Mother is respected and valued.

How do you choose which group to join?

Choose a group that offers age appropriate stimulation for your baby AND offers mom a great opportunity to build new friendships with moms.

Kim Jones, Moms and babes Workshop leader