Here in Australia, first time mums are assigned to a Weekly Mothers Group for 6 Weeks by their local council. It’s part of the free community support program set up for new mothers and is a great way for new mothers to meet other new mothers in their area, as well to learn all the basic things you need to learn about looking after a baby. I was assigned to a Mums Group and started going to a Children’s Centre just minutes away from my home when Micah was about 2 months old. 

Within the 6 weeks I am so blessed to have established wonderful new friendships with 9 other mums all living within minutes of each other. Even after our official Weekly Mothers Group meetings, we have not only kept in touch but also still meet on a weekly basis. Initially, we started off by alternating houses and hosts. After a few weeks, we decided it is a great idea to just meet at a local play centre. It was the best idea ever! No need for hosts to worry about setting up / cleaning up, there is plenty of room for our kids to play, we only have to pay $3.50 to get in because our kids are still at the young age and therefore their entry is free (and we get a free coffee so really we’re paying for a coffee each week and free entry!) and no reason to be confused in terms of venue e.g. “Whose house are we meeting at this week?” because it is always the same place, same time.

It is great. Not only do our kids get to see other on a weekly basis, play together and hopefully form close friendships when they are older – we mums continue to catch up over a coffee and chat about all the wonderful and challenging things involved when it comes to raising our children. Not only is this a continuous support group, but I feel so lucky to have met all these wonderful women! It is always a fun social day out with these ladies – whether it is at our weekly play centre catch ups or shopping at Fountain Gate or Mums and Bubs movie sessions.

It is so easy especially for exhausted mums (e.g. if bub decides to have a bad sleeping nights) to just lock themselves away at home and deal with the struggles of looking after a young baby all by themselves. That is why I believe it is healthy to get out of the house, and as much as Micah loves his play area at home, he does eventually get bored of it too and that is why it is great to take him to the play centre every week just for something different. I take Micah out all the time anyway, he goes grocery shopping with me all the time and I do tend to like spending time at the mall because of all the Parents Room facilities available, which makes it really convenient for Micah to tag along. Plus, Micah loves looking at different things and it keeps his mind stimulated.

I feel extremely blessed to be part of my Mums Group. We even have a Facebook Group set up so we can keep in touch during the week and discuss any issues / problems we have, as well as share any mini successes we’ve had with our babies. 

To all 9 wonderful ladies, you know who you are, thank you for being part of me and Micah’s lives and making motherhood so much more fun and exciting each week! I look forward to catching up with you ladies and seeing your babies every single week and really hope we continue to have strong friendships for many, many years to come! xoxxo