Finding Your Mom Tribe

Today I attended a new mom’s luncheon at my church. What a wonderful idea our leadership had to gather together the 15+ mommies in our body who gave birth in the past twelve months. Some were first time moms and some, like me, already had children. We sat around and swapped breastfeeding and poop stories while getting to know one another and our little ones. It didn’t matter our level of experience – each one had suggestions and new ideas to offer the group. Our pastor’s wife and children’s pastor both encouraged us to keep in touch, plan play groups and continue to fellowship. We are all apart of a shared community and this group will become our mom tribe. . .fellow mommies who dwell and learn together.

I’ve had the great privilege of having peer moms surrounding me since I became one myself. I don’t know what I would do without my best mommy friends to call on weekly, sometimes daily. The camaraderie that develops when walking through a season as tough as motherhood is invaluable. Even if you do things slightly different than your other mothering friends, there is still so much to learn from one another. You may do nothing more than offer each other an empathetic, “I hear ya girl” when sharing challenges and frustrations. This simple sisterhood may be the very thing that carries you through to high school graduation.

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to find a mom tribe in your area. If you feel like you are the only one in this stage of life in your church or city I assure you, you are not. There has got to be some other women keeping that OB office in business! You may not immediately click with women you find in your area. After all, relationships must be invested in and cultivated. But this is one of the most important things you can do for your child and for yourself. Here are a few suggestions for finding your mom tribe. . .

• Ask the leaders in your church to connect you with other new moms. Start with the children’s pastor. They should be able to introduce you to other moms of babies.
• Look for an established group such as MOPS in your town. These groups meet once or twice a month and usually provide childcare for a small, annual membership fee.
• Visit meetup.com to check for local play groups groups. Message the group leader for an introduction and details.
• Check with your local library for story times. Lots of moms attend these free events so it’s the perfect place to connect with others in your area.
• Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with another mom while your kids are playing at the park. Some of the best connections can be made around the jungle gym.

I am saying a special prayer today that all of the moms in our community will be able to find their mom tribe and connect quickly for support and friendship.

What are some other ways you have been able to connect with moms in your area? We’d love to hear what worked for you.