Sometimes we moms are too busy to go outside and make friends at the playground, but community is never farther away than our computer. You can reach out at any time of day or night and another parent is probably around to help you out. I looked into The Mommies Network for some ideas about how these groups work, and had a great conversation with Chelle Osborne, a member of the TMN Operations Board.--Diana
What is The Mommies Network?
We are a non-profit organization dedicated to helping moms find support and friendship in their local community. Members gain camaraderie and support through an online forum that is available 24 hours a day. Just as important—we feature events around the area where mothers can meet face-to-face and develop real friendships that can last a lifetime.
How do you coordinate local events if you are a national organization?
We have a national board of directors who help people set up a site in a certain region. The local coordinator is responsible for the day to day planning of events and community building with a lot of help, ideas, and encouragement from us at the national level.The national board of directors helps local coordinators set up a website for a specific region. It’s important to us that people get involved where they live so that they can meet people face to face and spend time in the real world in addition to on-line.
Why would someone join an online Mother’s group?
Well, for a lot of reasons! First, you’re never alone! All sites are open 24 hours a day. So if your baby is crying at 3 am, most of the time somebody is there and can help you.
Also, the goal of each of our websites is to get people to come out and participate with other moms who live nearby, so our network is a great way to meet people who live where you do. To make that happen, we ask that each chapter plans activities like a weekly coffee. “Ugly coffee” is one of my favorites! It’s basically a come-as-you-are coffee break. It doesn’t matter if you have spit up on you or mascara. For those days when you just can’t get it together but need to get out of the house. We’ve all been there!
Some of the larger sites sponsor 50-100 activities a month. Mom’s night out, pedicures, specialty playgroups for twins or children with special needs. There are single mommies, young mommies who started families before age 22, Club 35 for mom’s who started or added to their families after 35. We really want people to feel like they’re not alone. And we are very committed to the idea that no one should pay to make a friend, so we do not charge a membership fee.
So how does someone join the network?
To join an existing group, all you have to do is sign up. Go to The Mommies Network to find out if there is a group where you live. Once you submit an online application, there is a short wait time before you’re admitted. That’s because we at national take the time to run each prospective member through a screening process to ensure the safety of all of our community. We verify addresses and run a sex offender screen. We don’t have the money to run extensive background checks on everyone so we still remind all our members that this is a public forum and they should keep that in mind.
What if you wanted to start a group where you live?
If there isn’t a group in your community, you can start one yourself! Right now, we have about 100 local sites, and we have 100 more requests to start new groups. Unfortunately, our servers aren’t large enough to host so many communities and we’re hoping to upgrade soon. Our goal is to set us as many sites as possible this year, possibly between 30 and 50 new sites!
Is it hard to start a group?
Well, once we find out if there’s no group in your area, we’ll put you on the waiting list to get a group together when our servers are ready. Get in touch with us through The Mommies Network, and we will help you with all you need to organize your local site and set up activities. We provide web space and all the support for each site through sponsorship agreements with national and local vendors.
Once a group reaches a certain size, we ask the do do community service twice a year. Our only request is that the charities are specific for moms and children. We’ve had groups do the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, or get involved with the March of Dimes. We leave it up to the community, but giving back is an important way to get involved locally and to make a difference.
How did you get so involved with The Mommies Network?
I was a mom of twins at home and none of my friends had any children. I was tired of being home by myself but it was really difficult to know what to do. I joined Charlotte Mommies in 2004 and made the best friends of my life. My kids have made friends to grow up with and it’s enriched all of our lives.
One of the things I like about the way this network is run is that you can talk to people on the forums before you show up at a playgroup or an event so you don’t walk in cold. It’s easy to find something you have in common with people on line which makes you feel more comfortable going to an event with them. I was really nervous to go to my first meeting. but it was unbelievable how friendly everyone was. Everyone who is at these events has a lot of the same feelings that you do and the common ground is wonderful for building friendships.
I can vouch for the online part of this network. I joined on where I live after I talked to Chelle, and I love all the content on the website. Turns out, aside from all the activities and mom advice, there are a lot of great entertainment articles and celebrity gossip, too. Turns out, I’m not the only mom reading about my favorite tv shows. Why on earth would Kate or Sun go back to the island on Lost? I ask myself every week. Now I might be able hear what someone else thinks about it from my new Mommy Friends!
Have you joined an online mom's group? What can you tell us about your experience?