By Sabina Chen

I’m about 12 days into my month of single motherhood (see previous post Single Mom for a Month) and I’m exhausted.  After a long day of running around with Milo, juggling mealtimes, nap times, outings, bath and bedtime, I toss in a load (or three) of laundry and barely have the energy to write an email to my husband before konking out for the night.

Mommy is pretty frazzled, though I must say, I’d be even more crazy if it weren’t for my moms group.   I am grateful for this group of mommies who get together at parks, playgrounds, and homes, to let our kids play while we get a little adult interaction.  We met in yoga class and we’re all bent toward the natural/hippie/less-is-more philosophy of parenting, though we also allow our differences for our different babies.  It’s so helpful to bounce different parenting ideas off each other, to note what worked for someone and what didn’t work.  I don’t think I’d be as happy a mom without my moms group.

Recent mom group meeting at Benson's Park in Hudson, NH.

Mommyhood these days can be very isolating, but I don’t think it’s meant to be that way.  In a previous age, generations and neighbors cared and mentored each other.  Experienced moms and new moms.  There was a village and community that passed wisdom around.  These days, we can sit at home and look everything up on the internet or connect via facebook and never actually have to talk with anyone.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the internet and Facebook.  But there is nothing that can replace the camaraderie of getting together around a bunch of sippy cups and multi-grain Cheerios.  It’s good for mommies and good for the kids.  Milo knows his friends and his friends’ mommies.  His world (and mine) is a little bigger because of moms group.

Happy Mommy and Milo, borrowing his playmate’s wardrobe.