Somewhere in Connecticut, totally unbeknownst to us, a pregnant Jessica Rich started looking for some peers and pals having babies around the same time and created the first ever Rookie Moms Meetup. Now the group is up to 18 moms. And Jessica is set to have her baby any day now.
They get together for strollercize, playground playdates, and other rookie-mom challenges that Jessica sets out for the group. How awesome is that? And why didn’t we think of it? A group of rookie moms is using our book as a springboard for their new mama adventures. We couldn’t be more thrilled.
To create your own group:
- use meetup.com (like Jessica), mothersclick.com or even Craig’s List to find local, like-minded mamas.
- pitch out ideas with locations and dates (not everyone can do everything, but try to get and keep dates on the calendar) — you’re the Julie McCoy
- go with the vibe of the group.
Sometimes it can be hard to be a ringleader for a group of sleep-deprived and busy women trying to keep to nap schedules. We’ve both tried it. For years. With mixed levels of success.
I asked Jessica all about their group (and how they found the book) and how it was going and she told me:
I honestly don’t remember where I heard about your book, but I remember thinking “I need a copy of this!” and went out to Barnes and Noble that day and picked one up.
The northeastern part of Connecticut is kind of sparsely populated and there are not a lot of mom’s groups in the area. To be honest, there’s not a lot of anything in our area. This part of the state is called “The Quiet Corner”…We’re getting a Target this fall, its a big deal.
When I got pregnant, I started looking around for a mom’s group. I wasn’t surprised when I didn’t find anything right here. All the groups were in Rhode Island or the southeastern part of Connecticut.
I wanted something in my backyard, so I started a group. I really didn’t have the faintest idea what I was doing (still don’t, to be honest). I was surprised and excited when someone joined my group (nobody wants to be that kid in school that’s all by themselves on the playground, especially since I really was that kid…I didn’t want to be her all over again as an adult). Now there are more than a dozen of us, which is saying something given how small the overall population is here.
Obviously, necessity is the mother of invention. Whitney and I created this website as our means to cope with boredom and loneliness and to reach the goal of having something fun to do with our babies every day. Jessica and her friends found their own forum. You go girls!
If any other readers are in rookie moms meet-up groups, we’d be happy to feature you on rookiemoms.com, drop us a note.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Yay for Rookie Moms! (I’m the one in the black shirt standing next to Jessica) Gotta say, I love this group of ladies and I’m so excited that we keep on growing. I look forward to making lifelong friends and having our kids grow up together (and the Rookie Mom’s handbook is definitely a great tool for playgroup organizers). Thanks so much for featuring us on rookiemoms.com!
Such a good idea. I also do a moms group. One night out (dad’s keep the kiddos) and one morning out. If you really want some mommy time, I worked out with our Mommy’s Morning Out at our church to let the moms in my group bring their kids only one morning a month for about two hours. (they usually require you pay for the full morning, 4 hours, which is still only $15 not a bad price). But there is no commitment and then moms can go get a cup of coffee together with no crying babies once a month, and the kids still get a play date!
You can also hire our own babysitter to keep them at one persons house and everyone chip in $5 per child. But the MMO thing works great because they have the nursery up to 3 years old, and they are divided by age group, so it is wonderful!
Northeastern CT Rookie Moms Update:
I had my baby 7 months ago and he’s doing great!
A little after Christmas, we made a group decision to split the Meetup Group into two separate groups. We realized that 20 moms and babies was too much to cram into any one person’s house for playdates!
Now Northeastern CT Rookie Moms Group has 15 moms and the new group, Rookie Moms II of Northeastern CT has 15 moms. The groups have separate calendars and events, but still frequently get together for outdoor and public place activities, where 30 moms and babies can roam comfortably!