Tote Your Tot Along!

When I made the transition from high flying career woman (haha) to stay at home mom, I didn’t expect to feel so…well…isolated and a little obsolete. Sure, b and I go on play dates. Sure, we chat with other moms. But do I miss after work cocktails with friends? You bet. How about putting on my favorite jewelry and heels? Absolutely. What about discussing something OTHER than diaper rash and teething woes? Do you even have to ask? I was going insane, and this was month three.

I contemplated returning to work, but I didn’t feel that was the solution. Slowly, I started finding other ways to indulge my interests while bringing b along for the ride. Slowly, I stopped feeling like a late night bar that serves only one beverage to only one non-paying customer.

Here are some of the organizations that cater to moms with kids. They focus on YOU and your interests while exposing your little one to different experiences.

Entrepreneurs

So, I
write. I write for my own blog (TYSM for reading, by the way!) as well
as a few other ventures. I have always had a bit of entrepreneurial
spirit, although some might call it a desk job allergy. I discovered The Founding Moms–
an organization dedicated to helping mom entrepreneurs connect with and
learn from each other. Here’s the catch- you can bring your child with
you to the networking sessions. b has attended two and he makes a great
ice breaker!

All dressed up and networking!

Movie Date

In my area, The Bump Club Chicago and AMC sponsor Bring Your Baby Matinees. Yes, you can actually bring your baby to the movies. (I tried bringing b to a regular daytime movie because I REALLLY wanted to see The Hunger Games and ended up leaving after 5 minutes. Good thing it was dark or else I would have gotten ill over all of the nasty looks from other patrons).

The movies feature stroller parking, brighter lights, lower volume, and crying babies are allowed (everyone pretty much laughs at it because you are all in the same boat, but if your kid is screaming his head off through the whole movie, I would suggest doing a lap).

Volunteer

I used to volunteer for a few organizations before having a child, but can’t imagine trying to find the time or energy to do it during my few moments of solitude. More Than Milk is a community of moms that volunteer for non-profit organizations with kids in tow. Below, b and I are doing a little music time at a nursing home. Photos are courtesy of Simply by Suzy, a wonderful Chicago area photographer.

Social Media

I joined the team at 30Second Mom a year ago, and have a blast with this (occasionally rowdy) group of incredibly intelligent and supportive women. I help out with our weekly Twitter chats whose topics range anywhere from How To Deal With Technology & Kids to Home Staging for the Holidays. 30Second Mom allows moms to connect with each other and share best parenting practices as well as tips for your everyday life. Our team consists physicians, CPAs, authors, entrepreneurs, chefs, educators, TV personalities, you name it! Grab quick-read tips through the site or mobile app and join in the Twitter chats (#30secondmom) every Wednesday night at 8pm CST.

Sitting with Elisa All, founder of 30Second Mom, during a meeting.