How We Do It – Mommy Therapy

& Tracy S

Throughout this series, we’ve had several requests from fellow working moms to do a post on support groups for working mommies. While we think it is important for all moms to have a strong support network, neither of us are familiar with any formalized groups tailored specifically to working moms. We know there are many Mom groups through local churches and other organizations but cannot comment specifically on any of them since neither of us have directly participated in any. If you do, please post a comment with information and your experiences!

Outside of formalized groups there are a lot of ways to network and find support from other moms – both working and non-working. A lot of our non-working mom friends have found their play groups to be a great source – it’s not only fun for the kids to get together but also gives moms an outlet they need. As a working mom though, finding time for a playgroup is not so easy! Since we’ve tried to focus this series on working moms, here are a few ways that both of us have found to create informal mommy support groups:

– Seek out other moms you work with for lunch and coffee dates.

– Try to connect with the other moms at daycare. If your child starts talking about someone at school, give his or her mother a call and set up a play date on a weekend.

– Get together with girlfriends in similar situations once a month in the evening over some wine and good conversation (i.e. book clubs, bunco groups, or just a girls night social)

– Neighborhood family nights – get a couple of families together for dinner or just a happy hour. Great for everyone … the kids can play, the dads talk sports (or whatever it is guys talk about) and we get to jabber about the latest trials and triumphs of our kids!

– Sign up for My Gym or music class. This is a great place to meet other mom’s and if your classes are on the weekend (outside of work hours), there’s a great chance that other working mom’s are there too.

– Find an exercise buddy. There is nothing better for a stressed out mom than getting some “therapy” by talking and walking with a friend.

– Search the internet. http://www.supportworks.org/cat743.htm is a local site that helps connects all types of moms, working, single, parents of special needs children, moms of multiples.

– In our search, we also came across a working mom luncheon that is going to be at the Westin on September 10th. The Moms@Work Luncheon is a celebration of women and families in the work force, and honors the Family Friendly 40 companies – a select group of companies who go above and beyond to accommodate working parents and families. Tickets must be purchased by September 1.

– And finally, be a Smarty Pants and connect with our readers. Post a message in the Smarty E-Place for a playgroup or social group to fit your needs.

Let’s face it ladies, this mommy thing ain’t easy! We all need a little help from each other every now and then and often we have to get creative on how we do that. Stay tuned tomorrow for a more comprehensive list of mom’s support groups that will be filed under “Mom’s Support Groups” for your easy reference. What are some ways you interact with other moms to get the support you need?