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They say it takes a village to raise a child.
While we are no longer a tribal people per se, it still takes a strong foundation and support group to raise a child. This group can be in your community and be comprised of close friends and family members- but it doesn’t have to be.
With the increase today of social media it’s no surprise that social support groups have become increasingly popular. What’s not to say that your village can’t be online. One mother started a group on Facebook to do just that. Sarah Weinstein set out to create a safe place where moms can be moms. She noticed that there were minimal mom group options where she lived and so created a virtual place where she could connect with other moms. Not knowing whether or not she would be successful, Sarah created what would soon be a rather large community.
Jupiter Mamas is a Facebook group with over 7,000 members. The idea is simple, use Facebook as a forum to ask for help, give advice, or just connect with other moms that are going through the same things you are in regard to raising children. One of the unique features of Jupiter Mamas is the ability to ask questions anonymously. This allows for open dialog because group members don’t have to feel judged or embarrassed to ask some of the harder or more difficult questions. The group has dealt with everything from how to be supportive to a LGBTQ child to dealing with the postpartum depression.
One of the other positive things about the group is that it can be a source of great information for all members of the group. If if you choose to be a “lurker” and not participate in conversations, you can still learn or take something away from another mother’s situation.