Keenan having fun at the wading pool this morning (he was borrowing another little boy’s toys)!
This morning was all about water, which was nice for such a hot day (it is supposed to be 103 degrees today, yikes!). After Keenan and I finished our “usual” breakfast and I drank my latte, we headed to swim lessons (parent and child swim class) at our local YMCA this morning and then to a play date at Land Park’s wading pool with my MOMs group. It was a busy morning, but a lot of fun! By the time we got home for lunch, Keenan was tired and ready for a good nap.
Keenan LOVES the water, so he was excited for his swim lessons and he couldn’t wait to see his friend at the wading pool afterward. Play dates are such a necessity for us, because Keenan has an opportunity to play with other children while I am able to socialize with other moms (it’s a win-win!). As mommies, especially if you stay at home, you need to be able to talk with other moms, having adult conversation and just sharing your experiences, so you don’t feel alone. It is helpful to know that you are not the only one going through or dealing with something, i.e. napping, the terrible twos or potty-training.
Having the support network of other mommies who have children at or around the same age as Keenan has been very helpful to me, to say the least! I joined a new mom’s support group through the Mother’s Support Network in Sacramento when Keenan was 6 weeks old and it was probably one of the best things that I did! I met new friends and gained the support, advice and encouragement of other new mommies who were going through the same thing as me. Being that I was a brand new mom, it was SO beneficial for my health and well-being to meet other women who were in the same “trenches” so to speak. I continued going to the group every week (until I went back to work) and then a few of us started scheduling play dates on our own (which we still do today). When Keenan was 3 months old, I joined our local MOMs Club, made new friends and started attending more play dates and mommy events. Keenan is almost 2 years old and we are still a part of these groups (I’m now on the board of our MOMs Club), our friendships have grown and we have made new ones along the way. The play dates and events definitely keep us busy (sometimes I feel busier now than I was when I was working and caring for Keenan!).
If you are a mom-to-be or new mom, I encourage you to meet other mommy friends and develop a support network, because it can really make or break you at times, especially during the first year. I’ve met a couple of moms who stayed at home the first year and didn’t join any groups or meet other mommy friends, and both of them felt very isolated and unhappy. Both women felt the first year of their children’s lives were the hardest, because they didn’t have the support of other women. They wished they had gone out and met others who were dealing with the same issues.
Who do you look to for support, advice and encouragement as a new mom? Do you find that having a group of mommy friends who have children at or around the same age as yours to be helpful?
It’s time to head to CrossFit and then home for dinner, which is going to be a strawberry spinach salad with grilled chicken, walnuts and feta cheese, yum!
Sorry, I thought I signed up so I’d get email posts so I’m just now catching up on all of your posts.
I just joined a mom group this week after my friend hassled me about it. The problem I’ve found with this group, the sub groups and most of the other groups in the area is that they cater to the stay at home mom. That’s not an option for us and its very frustrating to see all the support—for people staying at home who can meet up more easily etc.
Good article and so very important to make those essential friendships for mommy and child! Take it from a grandmother who also did that early on for help and sanity.