It Takes a Village

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IT TAKES A (1)You know how they say it takes a village to raise a child?  Wrong.  It takes a village to raise a mom.  Three and a half years ago they handed me a baby and expected me to KNOW WHAT TO DO.  Sure, I could change a diaper and breastfeeding was fine but there were so many other things that no one tells you about.  How do I handle crying at every single Hallmark commercial during the first few months post partum?  How do I function on such little sleep it isn’t even worth calculating?  How can a time that should be the happiest time in my life make me feel so isolated?

Moms.  We need each other.There’s just no way around it.

With my first son, I had a few mom friends, but not many.  Half of the ones I did have lived far enough away that play dates weren’t exactly easy (plus, my son hated riding in the car which made driving distances unpleasant.) So what was a new mom to do?  Well, at first I made some new friends in the form of Dr. Phil, Ellen and Drew Carey.  They were terrible listeners so I thought perhaps it was time to broaden my search for real life mom friends.

I had a friend suggest we try out a mom’s group at our church.  I’m not going to lie, while I liked the idea of a mom’s group, I was not fond of walking into a group of women I didn’t know.  I mean, women can be catty, can they not?  Sometimes moms can be judgmental and harsh and those were things I was not looking for in my life.  But…what were my other options?  So I gave it a go.

Best.Decision. Ever.

Was it scary the first time?  Yes.  Do I still sometimes come up with excuses to as to why I can’t go? Yep.  Do I always leave feeling fulfilled and on a relational high?  Of course.  I found a group of mom’s to do life with who encourage each other and build each other up.  I am so thankful for this group of ladies and I wish this type of community for other moms out there as well.

Motherhood can be isolating at times, but it doesn’t have to be!  I’ve put together a list of different mom’s groups in the area (these are just a few-there are many) and I hope that if you are feeling isolated or in need of a friend, you will check one of these out!

  • Ginghamsburg Mom2Mom: The morning one meets on Thursdays throughout the school year and the evening one meets the 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursday of the month during the school year from 6:30-8pm.
  • LLL Oakwood Breastfeeding Cafe: This is an open group and you can stop in anytime between 10am-11am on Tuesdays to visit with other breastfeeding mamas at the Starbucks at 2424 Far Hills Ave.  For other LLL groups go here.
  • Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS):  There are several MOPS locations in the area.  Want to get together with other moms of preschoolers?  This is a great group for you!
  • Moms Run This Town:  Like to run?  Find encouragement and meet up with other moms in the Dayton/Miamisburg area who enjoy running as well!  Exercise and community…what could be better? Check out their Facebook page to find out more information!
  • The Family Network: Looking for a group your whole family can participate in?  Look no further!  The Family Network is a Dayton Moms Group for the entire family, providing children with socialization, play and fun experiences.
  • TWIGS (Terrific Women in Giving):  Like to give back? This group is an auxiliary of Dayton Childrens Hospital and helps put together several fundraising events each year as well as provide several in service volunteer hours.  You can contact Jill Lewis at 937-641-3405 for more information.
  • The Moms Zoo Group: The Moms Zoo Group is a group whose passion is to equip mothers, wives and singles for their journey to love their family and their home.  They meet at Dayton Living Word Church every Thursday morning from 10am to 11:30am.

See? You don’t have to do this mom thing alone. Don’t see one that interests you?  Start your own!! Chances are there are other moms out there that are looking for the same thing as you!

Do you belong to a moms group that wasn’t mentioned?

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Megan Gariety
I am the mother to two of the most well behaved children in the history of children. They listen the first time around, always clean up their messes and sleep peacefully through the night. I greet my husband at the door each night looking like a million bucks with a dinner on the table that even Martha Stewart would envy. Lies. All of it. I am blessed to be a mother to two red haired (in looks and personality) boys who are so full of energy and life you can't help but to smile. They are not known to listen the first time, sleep through the night or clean up after themselves, but they do give the worlds best kisses, so it pretty much evens out. I do greet my husband at the door each night, but usually in sweats and with a baby in hand to give to him so I can run back to the stove before dinner burns. Aside from running a non-perfect household, I also work at home sharing my Plexus health and wellness business. My faith is important to me and guides my decision making in life (minus the time I had terrible bangs in middle school-there is no way that was a God thing.) My husband proposed to me by golden ticket inside of a Willy Wonka bar and that pretty much sums up our entire relationship. My favorite phrase is "it will change your life" but it is usually only true 10% of the time. My favorite things about motherhood: taught me what unconditional love really means and finally having an excuse to wear sweats every day!

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