Parenting Wisdom
Tampa Bay Moms Blog Community + Connection
Hi Moms!
You know as well as we do that being a mom is hard work. It can be isolating, overwhelming and completely exhausting. In our endless quest to provide the perfect Halloween costume, coordinated outfits, perfectly executed activity drop-off/pick-ups (not to mention avoiding stepping on that stray lego), moms can get lost in the shuffle. We all know that being a Mom is the most rewarding job we can do, but it’s also the hardest.
We’ve heard it said that “it takes a village,” but how exactly do you find that village? And what if that village means more than just the people who are within earshot of you when you yell at your kids because their shoes are MIA and you’re running late AGAIN?! (Wait….tell me it’s not just me.)
What if that village was a group of moms in our community that could come together and connect? What if that meant caring for one another, or getting together to celebrate? Perhaps, there is a new mom on your street who needs to know about the best place to get coffee. Or maybe you just need advice from the mom who’s been there and can offer you a shoulder (or a helping hand) as you navigate your latest parenting challenge. And what if that group encouraged you to move beyond the confines of your neighborhood to forge a connection over the numerous things that we share as moms?
We’d love to introduce you to Tampa Bay Moms Blog Community + Conversation.
When we launched this website in 2013, it was with a goal of fostering a sense of community, bringing people together, and breaking down walls. Up to this point, we’ve had 11 Neighborhood Groups set up all over the greater Tampa Bay area for moms to find a place of connection they enjoy, but we’ve realized that our readers are looking for something more. They are craving community on a larger scale that goes beyond the borders of their street addresses and school district boundary lines.
Our number one goal in creating Tampa Bay Moms Blog was to create a community on and offline through our content as well as our in-person events. Moms need moms to support and encourage one another in this epic journey we are all on together. Community + Conversations is a place to stand alongside the moms around you, whether they live next door or across town. Our hope is to create a safe place for moms from all walks of life to share stories and receive encouragement, joined together over our passion for motherhood and our shared experiences surrounding the city of Milwaukee.
Community + Conversation is managed by Tampa Bay Moms Blog. We are currently looking for Mombassadors for our group to organize monthly playdates, get-togethers, and Mom’s Night Outs. Think you’d make a great Mombassador? Contact us! Any questions? Contact our Community Engagement Coordinator ([email protected]).
Additional Perks
If that weren’t enough to make you want to be a part of the Community + Conversation group, perhaps a few perks will put you over the edge! This group will get the inside scoop on a lot of the upcoming happenings at TBMB, including things like early access or a designated batch of tickets to some of our most popular events, discount codes, exclusive offers from some of our favorite sponsors, giveways, and more. Plus, we plan to put together fun events just for our C+C group members like service projects, clothing swaps, a book club, and scavenger hunts, just to name a few! We have so many ideas for how to make this group your favorite Facebook location!
What does this mean for our current 11 Neighborhood Groups? After a time of transition, these groups will be removed February 18th! If you are currently in one of these groups, make sure you join the new C+C group before that date to avoid getting left behind in the move!
The basic rules for our Community + Connection Group are:
1. Be kind. We do not ask or expect everyone to agree all the time. Motherhood is the easiest thing to have an opinion about but the hardest thing to actually do. There will, however, be no toleration of any inflammatory, derogatory, or bullying talk. We want this to be a safe place for moms to share their stories, including struggles. This includes but is not limited to negative comments, messaging, passive-aggressive criticisms or critiques of other moms either via comments or personal messaging.
2. No personal promoting. We love seeing moms find their passions. Really we do, but this is not the place for personal advertisements. If you would like to advertise with TBMB, please contact us at [email protected]. There will be one thread a month designated for members to share their favorite local businesses where personal businesses are welcome to be shared.
3. No buy/sell/trade. There are loads of b/s/t groups on Facebook. This group is not the place for selling furniture or baby clothes. Rather Community + Connection is a place to meet other moms and grow friendships.
4. Be safe. Keep safety in mind, and please consider meeting at a public place when meeting someone new for the first time.
It is simple to join! There are no fees, no memberships, and no minimum attendance or participation requirements. When you visit the Tampa Bay Moms Blog Community + Connection Facebook page, you simply click the “Join” tab or input your name into the “Add Members” field and answer the questions to verify you are, in fact, a Tampa Bay area mom. Easy peasy.