Someone smart* recently suggested I join some sort of support group for working moms in downtown Seattle.
I thought that was a great idea. The problem was I wasn’t sure how to go about doing that. So I asked her if she had any idea where I would find a said support group.
She said, “have you tried the internet?”
Asking me if I’ve “tried the internet” is like asking me if I’ve eaten pizza this week. Duh, of course I’ve tried the internet. The internet and I have a very, very close relationship. But I hadn’t really looked on the internet for a support group for local working moms.
A quick Google search brought up a ton of links and I started to click over to check out most of them. Well, except for the ones that sounded lame. I am into only cool things and cool people. Clearly.
(It’s funny how when searching on google for other working Seattle moms, I find a link to myself. A lot of good that will do me. I’ve already met me.)
After searching around for a while I found an online group that seemed to be the right fit for me. I sent the organizer a request to join her little 250+ member group and then patiently waited near my inbox for her reply. It took a week, but my request to join the group was finally accepted.
I was pretty excited. Again I patiently waited to hear about their next meet up. Except that they aren’t having one during the Holidays. Great.
In the mean time I’ll look around the groups website in anticipation of their next meet up. And dude, it better be a good one.
So tell me, have you (or anyone you know) ever joined a support group like this? And if so, please tell us all about it.
*Yes, I pay her hourly to assist me. It’s worth it.
Isabel is a pseudonym for this Seattle-based blogger. She’s been working since the day she realized soda and lip gloss weren’t free. Isabel became a mom in 2006 and continues to work full time, outside the home, since diapers and mortgages aren’t free either. You can read far too much about her personal life at hola,isabel.
If you have questions, anecdotes, or topics for “Double duty. One paycheck.”, email Isabel at holaisabel [at] gmail.com.
I joined one for organizing and cleaning the house. But it’s not terribly active, and when we try to get together only 2 people show up. Then again I’m in Grand Forks, ND instead of Seattle. I have met at least one great friend from it though and at least I have one person I can commiserate with about getting things organized and know that she understands.
I’ve tried looking for something like that around here, but haven’t been able to find anything specifically for working moms. And all of the moms groups I have found tend to have meet-ups during the days… I hope this one works out for you!
No . . . but good luck on your search. I know that people find a lot of support in other, non-local groups and have been very successful in that (like Yahoo! and MSN). Maybe there is a group that meets on weekends?
I met a wonderful group of mommy friends during the short period of time that I was a SAHM. We met at a co-op through the local community college. Even though a few of us have moved away, we still keep in touch.
When I moved to Seattle I looked for something similar - and found one - that meets in the evenings. But after I went to the first meeting, I felt out of place. I admit that I made some snap judgements, but I didn’t think I was going to find what I was looking for in that group. I’ve yet to find something else.
I’m curious to know if the group you found is a good one. Will you be my guinea pig and let me know?
If you joined the one I am guessing you joined I am also a member. I had found a great group in Spokane that did a lot of activities on weekends and evenings, so a mix of SAHM and Working moms, I loved it. We moved back to Seattle in June 07 and the working moms group I joined here was dead for a lot of the summer and during the fall started doing more.
Unfourtunately the weekend activities fell on bad weekends for me, and I live North of Seattle, so getting to locations was not always easy, but they do seem to move around the area. I hope I can make the next activity. From what you said sounds like it will be after the first of the year.
[...] It’s Wednesday. Which means I posted at my column Double Duty, One Paycheck. [...]
You would think I would have sought out something like that already but no….I’ll be very curious to see what you find.
I’ve looked for groups in the past and had no luck. I talked to someone once in the doctor’s office and she told me about the one she belonged to but then I ask the million dollar question, do you meet in the evenings and it was no so I never joined..I’m curious to see how your group works out. Making new friends is always nice.