If you have children, know people who have children, or have ever even been around a child, I'm sure you know that there are thousands of questions that revolve around them. Where to take them, what to feed them, how to dress them, what is that noise they're making?? Parents belong to such a large fraternity, yet often feel secluded and unknowing of where to turn for help or answers. Fear not though, there are people out there who care and are doing what they can to help make the fraternity a little more tight knit...minus the keggers.
I sat down last week with Whitney Boyles Trowbridge who, on January 1st, launched the non-profit website The Mommy Nest (www.themommynest.com), a free peer support site for mothers in the Louisville area. The whole idea goes back several years to when Whitney and her husband were living in North Carolina due to jobs at the time. While there they were blessed with their first child, but Whitney was presented with a dilemma...as a transplant to the area she was away from friends, family, and at the time knew no other mothers in the area. She turned to the internet to see if she could find a solution to this problem and came across a site that allowed her to connect, and get involved, with other area mothers. When life and jobs allowed them to relocate back to Whitney's native Louisville she felt inspired to start something here in order to connect with local mothers, and to also give transplants to the area the same networking possibility she had had in North Carolina. At the time she began an extension of the national network she had joined while in North Carolina, and approximately four years from its beginning here in 2007 had gained over 1000 members. Eager to start something of her own that was uniquely Louisville, and with a history of charitable and non-profit work, Whitney and some friends decided to branch out on their own and The Mommy Nest was conceived (pun intended).
Whitney and her group want The Mommy Nest to be the best source of locally shared information about children of all ages. With an extensive forum where mothers can ask questions, share information, give support, and review anything and everything child related, themommynest.com is aimed at supporting mothers of infants all the way up to empty nest mothers. Whitney explained that one of their main goals is for this organization to also be so much more than an online resource. There are always meet ups, play dates, mommy's nights out, and free recreational activities being planned so that parents actually have the opportunity to get to know each other and create friendships within the community. Safety is always a concern, and Whitney assured me that they've covered all the bases where is comes to who's registering for the site and how meet ups are handled, these moms are too smart to leave something like that to chance.
There is an area planned for fathers to join and share information on the horizon, and since they are non-profit Whitney explained that all of their larger organized events are aimed at giving back to children related charities, all while still remaining free to attend. When talking to Whitney I could tell that not only did having children change her life, but finding this group of mothers to lean on changed her life as well; that is what she wants to give back to people with themommynest.com. She wants other parents to know that they are not alone, others are going through the same situations, emotions, dilemmas, etc., and that there is a place where you can share and learn with these people. So, if you have children and are looking for where to go, what to do, or how to get them to eat green beans, and everything in between and beyond, then register and check it out. I know this dad will, my own children terrify me, and that's just if they breathe funny while they're sleeping.
Connect with The Mommy Nest online:
Website: www.themommynest.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheMommyNest
Twitter: @TheMommyNest
