Moms need a break now and then.
A moms club can help meet that need by gathering a group of women, who may or may not have known each other before having kids, where they can join forces to give support, get advice and build friendships.
Mom2Mom group in Seymour
Susan Jablonski is one of the co-founders of Mom2Mom, a moms group in Seymour.
She has eight children who are all school-age except for 3-year-old Asher. Jablonski and her family are originally from Ohio and have lived in Seymour for about 18 years.
Jablonski said she, Montica Chambers and another mom who is no longer in the group started Mom2Mom about eight years ago. The group meets every other Friday at Calvary Baptist Church, 1202 N. Ewing St., Seymour.
“We meet regularly just during the school year,” Jablonski said. “We have a Friday morning meeting where we typically have a light breakfast for the moms and the kids 5 and under are in child care here.”
It’s basically undivided adult time for the moms, and they start off with some icebreakers and chatting, she said.
“We normally have a speaker that comes in to talk on a topic that’s relevant to moms,” she said. “We’ve had everything from friendships, talking to your children about hard topics and just a whole range of subjects.”
Jablonski said the speaker usually talks for about 30 to 45 minutes, and then the members discuss the topic.
“Our end-of-the-year meeting is today (May 12), and we’ll do a craft, have some games and things like that,” she said. “We do have some other events throughout the year, like at Christmas, we have a gift exchange .”
Jablonski said the women have a moms night out about once a month where they get together and conduct an activity in the evening without their kids. They’ve also had a progressive dinner this year, and some of the working moms take part in the evening activities.
“We’ve been averaging around 15 moms at the meetings this year, but before COVID, we were between 20 and 30,” she said. “COVID changed a lot of things, so our attendance is just a little bit lower than what it was.”
She also discussed the craft that members would be making that morning. Each mom was to choose a decorative square of tissue paper, cut it out and use Modge Podge to adhere their own design on a plain white mug.
Kayla Farland has a son who is 9. She has been coming to the moms group for about two years and got started because one of the other moms is her best friend and they go to the meetings together.
“I like being able to get out of the house and being with the other moms,” Farland said. “It’s a chance to get away from the ordinary everyday routine.”
Jessica Peacock said it’s fun to get out of the house and be with other moms. She has three children, ages 12, 9 and 6.
“Moms with kids of any age can be a part of the group,” Peacock said.
Chambers said currently, she, Jablonski and Chrissy Hubers are the leadership of the organization.
“I think a lot of stay-at-home moms can feel lonely, so this is a way to provide community and encouragement,” she said. “Our mission is connecting, challenging and caring for moms of all seasons in a God-honoring environment.”
Those who would like information about the organization may visit the Seymour Mom2Mom Facebook page or call one of the three leaders: Jablonski, 937-515-0298; Chambers, 859-509-6130; or Hubers, 812-498-7929.
Seymour woman starts mom group in Kentucky
Seymour native Becky Curtis Michels, 34, moved to Owenton, Kentucky, in 2017 because her husband, Adam, had purchased land there and was living there before they met.
Becky is a stay-at-home mom with their two children, 3-year-old Amelia and 1-year-old Hazel.
In 2021, Kentucky was still coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and not many activities were open yet, she said.
“Many of my friends either had older children in school or no children, not toddlers, and I was pregnant with my second,” Michels said. “I was feeling desperate when a friend from Arizona told me she was moving to Kentucky, and I was so excited.”
Her friend moved about an hour away, and their children had frequent play dates.
“Then she started connecting with moms in her community, and I was floored,” Michels said. “When I asked how she had met them, she explained she had joined a moms group and been talking to several moms with kids around her kids ages.”
That evening, Michels started the Owen County Mom Group on Facebook in May 2021 and started looking for activities they could do together.
“In August, I advertised Story Time at the Park, and for almost eight weeks, only one other mom/daughter showed up,” she said. “At the end of September, my mom came down with her dog, Tilly, to do Tales with Tilly, and we had five families show up, and by December of 2021, the moms group had been fully established as a Thursday morning activity.”
She said at the end of 2022, library activities, 4-H classes, church programs and schools were back in full swing, so the moms group transitioned into more of an online group.
“The benefits are that moms have been able to connect, especially new moms, whether new to the area or new to motherhood,” Michels said. “This group allows women to see events that are age-appropriate for their kids (e.g. 4-H, fair dates, library programs and sports) and ask questions, like where is the closest pool or day care and preschool options.”
She said the goal is for moms to create a real-life community for their families so they know they are supported. As the moms create this community, the hope is their children are included and find their space, too.
Michels said she and her family try to get back to Seymour about at least once every few months to visit her parents, David and Joie Curtis.