Mothers Group – Why It’s Worth It

It’s the day of your weekly Mothers’ Group get together and last night you were looking forward to it. This morning you’re not so sure. The doubts aren’t about the Mothers’ Group per se, but about how on earth you’re going to get out of the house, with both you and the baby fed, clean and changed. All this before 11am. Perhaps you’ll skip today’s session.

This is just one of the reasons many new Mums decide to let their Mothers’ Group go. It all seems too hard. Often it is hard, but this is also one of the reasons that it’s worth making the effort. You can bet that if it’s hard for you, it’s hard for most of the other new Mums too.

One of the things lots of new mothers talk about in those early months of parenting is how isolating it can be. And while the days and nights are punctuated by wonderful moments of joy, for large chunks of the day, it’s mostly a solo journey. Your Mothers Group is an opportunity to not be completely solo – even if it’s only one morning a week.

The wonderful thing about organised Mothers Groups are that they are designed specifically for women with brand new babies. Here are a few reasons why it’s worth making the effort to get there.

Shared knowledge

You can pick up some great tips from other new Mums, particularly if their baby is a few weeks older than yours. They’ll hit those milestones and will have plenty of advice on what to expect.

New friends

There is nothing quite like living a shared experience to help people bond. By sharing this new parenting experience you’ll probably make some new friends; some of those friendships may last forever. It’s not uncommon to hear about women who met at Mothers Group and their children are young adults, but the Mums are still friends.

You’ll get out of the house

While it might seem hard getting out the door, if that’s the only thing you do for the day, it’s an achievement. Often it is the first step in getting back into the swing of things once you’ve got a baby in tow. Staying home all day can be isolating and claustrophobic so at least turning up to Mothers Group will ensure that you see the outside of your lounge room once in a while.

A new network

Once you start making friends, it’s an opportunity to share baby sitting so you can take turns to have a date night. And contrary to what many believe, Mothers Group is not just about babies. Once those new friendships are developing, you’ll inevitably talk about life and careers pre-kids so you’re opening a whole new network of people that could potentially work in your favour when it comes to going back to work, or starting a new business venture.

Local friends

There is something wonderful about making friends near where you live. It is a lovely feeling bumping into people you know in your neighbourhood – Mothers Group is the beginning of building a community. It offers a sense of belonging, and optimism about the future. Feeling like you have a community connection will improve your overall wellbeing.

Those early months can be a bit of a rollercoaster, but it’s made all the better if you can share your tears and your triumphs with a gang of new friends who can support you through it all. Sometimes it might feel too hard to get out of the house, but it’s so worth the effort.