I once heard it said that women were not meant to raise their children in isolation. I was listening to a podcast and that day’s guest went on to elaborate, explaining that generations ago, children were raised in community, i.e., the proverbial village. Our parents, grandparents and great grandparents were raised among extended family–aunties and grandmas, older cousins who would keep an eye on the collective of children while other mothers and family members were birthing babies, baking and doing laundry for the extended family as a whole.
The World is a New Place Now, But the Need is Old as Time
In 2019, that way of life, that safety net, indeed that village, have all but evaporated. Women graduate from high school, attend college in another state, meet their future husband who hails from yet another state. They marry and settle in their chosen city, which could be hundreds, if not thousands of miles away from their families of origin. They start their own families and then find themselves isolated at home partly due to exhaustion and partly due to the absence of a network they didn’t even know they would need. I could go on a tangent about the insanely high standards today’s young mom is expected to adhere to, thus adding to her load, but let’s stick to solving the problem. And the problem is this:
Where does a young mom go when she has no relatives of her own nearby and decides she needs a village? We all need a tribe or two and to that end, I have compiled a list of local tribes and villages-in-waiting for the new Berks County mom.
Local Tribes and How to Find Them
MOMS CLUB
MOMS Club of Sinking Spring [email protected]
MOMS Club of Exeter [email protected]
BERKS COUNTY LIBRARIES
Berks County is blessed with a very active library system which offer many programs for young families with lap sitters and toddlers. Visit www.berkslibraries.org to find out what is happening at your local library
NURSING MOTHERS GROUP
Meets the 2nd Monday of the Month at Wyomissing Library, visit www.wyopublib.org for more information.
CHOSEN MOMS
This is a group for mothers of special needs children which meets in Hamburg. Email: [email protected] for meeting dates and times.
If you are a young mom, or know a young mom who is struggling to make a connection or find some fresh faces, I hope you will give one of these organizations a try. Some are free, some require a small membership fee, but all are an important part of finding the support, camaraderie and friendships which are so vital to a young mom entering into this new stage of family life.
“Find your Tribe, Love Them Hard”- Unknown
