October 25, 2007
MOMS Club of Leesburg
Leesburg has two chapters of the international organization MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support). It is geared towards supporting stay at home moms by organizing events and activities, and the local clubs are run by volunteers.
I have been a member for almost two years, and found:
- participation in the online chat group alone is worth the annual membership fee.
- being a member of a MOMS club playgroup was very helpful during my first year here as I adjusted to stay at home motherhood, juggling two kids, and new surroundings.
As with any women’s group whether or not it is the right fit for you may depend on personalities, but it is a great resource of full of moms who do want to help each other.
October 5, 2007
NOVA Families for Natural Living
I won’t try to define natural family living myself. The group’s description on yahoo is as follows:
“Northern Virginia’s Families for Natural Living is an organization of like-minded families who joined together to support each other in exploring natural alternatives for themselves and their families. We offer support and education on topics such as nutrition, birth options, attachment parenting, vaccinations, alternative health choices, concern for the environment and much more!”
I consider myself a hybrid mom with one foot set firmly in the natural parenting arena and the other still planted in a more mainstream parenting model. I generally shy away from pushing my alternative ideas on others, but ever since last week’s Oprah there seems to be a lot of buzz about vaccines within moms groups on both sides of this fence. I find myself reading the emails from my local groups, and thinking many folks would benefit from the perspective this group has to offer on vaccinations. And if you are like me and sometimes feel alone in cloth diapering, nursing past 12 months, delaying-preschool, or even choosing a compost bin and a CSA you will welcome the wisdom and encouragement shared by the NOVA Families for Natural Living on many topics.
September 16, 2007
This is the website for Mothering Magazine which labels itself as “the birthplace of natural family lifestyle.” Despite the arrogance of that assertion I have found their forums to be kind of online home where I can turn for information on parenting in a style that is gentle on my children and the earth. If you are interested in natural family living or attachment parenting, and looking for a place where you can be encouraged, challenged and inspired this is worth checking out.
September 9, 2007
I just discovered this site today, and it has impressed me so far. Even just a short time of browsing reveals that its creators have been thoughtful in creating a warm community.
It looks like it began as a mom owned business, and has recently been sold to a larger corporation who plans to keep the existing format and spirit.
If you are looking for an online community it looks like one worth checking out.
