Until you have kids of your own you just don't get it. The love, the insanity, the finely-tuned hearing that can detect your own child's cry in a crowded theme park but not even register that same child's voice while you are talking on the phone with a friend. That's why the most precious gift a mother can give herself is the friendship of another mother or, better yet, another hundred mothers. Forget the kids; it's the moms who need a village. Online communities can deliver that connection in spades. Why go online to find your mommy network? Here are 10 great reasons.
- Someone is always up. Your baby sleeps through the day, your best friend's child sleeps through the night. One of you is always falling asleep on the phone or running late. But "mom2three" is always online at the same time as you. Commiserate. Lean. Learn.
- Quick answers to anything...yes anything. Put a group of moms together and they talk about things. Put them online together and they talk about everything. From the best place to get cloth diapers to recipes for a romantic dinner for two or even the latest budget-friendly fashion finds, not a question is left unasked or unanswered.
- New mom support. When you are feeling clueless, social networks offer a place for you to say "is it just my kid?" to which 98% of the replies will be "nope, mine's right there too" or "trust me, it will pass," letting you take that deep breath and know you are not alone.
- Did somebody say playdates? The best online communities not only lets you connect in cyberspace but also IRL (that's "in real life") and getting your children together to socialize while you do the same is simply better than chocolate. You can even coordinate babysitting co-ops where the kids make friends and each mom takes a turn running errands solo. Of course, your network needs a local spin for in-person gatherings to work. Check out MomsLikeMe.com, which offers local sites in 80 cities nationwide.
- Better still...the MNO. That's mom's night out, where the girls' night out grows up. Whether it's a site-wide event or simply a fellow mom saying "who wants to join me for a juicy chick flick?" kid-free bonding with your fellow mom can save sanity like nothing else.
- Eye-openers. Ever wonder why some parents pierce their daughters' ears at birth while others hold off until 8 or 13 or never? Don’t know the difference between CYA and CIO? Online parenting discussions open your eyes to the infinite pathways of parenthood. You can gain insight to do a better job or simply gain appreciation for different perspectives.
- Conversations that match your attention span. That is, short. Or long, if you are chatting once the kids are in school or asleep. And should you hear a crash in the kitchen just as you prepare to post about finding the perfect stroller, you can hop offline and no one is left mid-conversation.
- A mom for every moment. Social networks cast a wide net. So while every person on a mom's site may not have the same resume, they share one major theme – motherhood. And moms have all kinds of non-mom expertise, too. You may never meet, but you know that you can rely on "billysmom" to know the best Thai place in town and "lovestodance" for tips on how to get your pre-baby body back.
- Casseroles. With a local online connection through sites like MomsLikeMe.com, where moms can both talk online and get to know each other in person, your fellow moms will have your back when Jackson has his tonsils out or your husband is holding down the fort while you are on prenatal bed rest. And if one less dinner isn't enough reason, there’s always...
- Lifetime friends. Like your college friends who remember the moments you'd like to forget, your mom friends stick by you despite some less-than-supermom moments. They get it and so they get you. These are the friends you hang onto for life. Even if you’ve never met IRL.
