ANNA MARIA – The newly formed Mom’s Café group provides moms of all ages a place to gather and share their motherhood experiences.
The inaugural Mom’s Café gathering took place on Jan. 24 in the Fellowship Hall at Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave.
Led by Liz Rodgers, the Mom’s Café group now plans to meet two Wednesdays a month from 9:30-11 a.m. The next meeting is scheduled on Feb. 14 and will feature a guest speaker sharing hints and advice on healthy habits for moms. Additional meetings are scheduled on Feb. 28, March 13 and 27, April 10 and 24 and May 8 and 22.
“The first meeting is about getting to know each other, find out what’s meaningful for them and make sure we tailor this to what the moms’ needs are,” Rodgers said as the attending moms arrived, mingled and enjoyed free coffee and refreshments.
“It’s for all moms,” Rodgers said, noting the mix of younger and older moms is an important component of Mom’s Café.
Before the first meeting started, Jen Serra and Laura Seubert shared their thoughts on motherhood and the Mom’s Café meetings. Serra’s kids are 13, 11 and 8 years old. Seubert’s kids are 17, 14 and 9.
When asked about the challenges currently faced by parents and youngsters on Anna Maria Island, Seubert said, “Social media is huge.”
“Yes, social media,” Serra agreed.
Seubert said scheduling is another big challenge.
“Our kids are so involved and so active. When I got home from school, I went out and played until the streetlights came on. Nowadays, our kids are doing community service, athletics and more. Getting everybody in one place and having a sit-down meal is challenging,” she said.
Serra said there’s a viable network of Island families but connecting as a community can be challenging.
“On the Island, there’s not a lot of focus on moms with kids in school and younger. That demographic exists but isn’t always noticed with all the snowbirds and visitors,” she said.
When asked about the challenges posed by living in neighborhoods dominated primarily by vacation rental homes, Seubert said, “While this is a really busy Island for visitors, it’s a rural community for residents with very few families that can interact. For our kids to do sports, other than at The Center, they go off the Island. For Boy Scouts, they go off-Island. It’s like being in the boonies; you have to drive to where you want to go.”
Rodgers, who lives just off-Island, said, “In my neighborhood, there’s two moms that are new to the area. They have little kids and feel isolated and they don’t get out. This is a venue to help moms connect with each other and share their journey, their experiences and what they’ve learned about mothering.”
“I go to a moms’ workout group at CrossFit but it’s not really advertised. It’s all word of mouth,” Serra said. “There’s a bunch of families that go play kickball together, but if nobody knows you and you’re not on the email list you’re not going to get the invite. It’s as close to a pick-up game as we can get when you can’t just go next door.”
Serra said she went through a period where she invited 10-15 kids over every Wednesday night to swim and share a potluck dinner. She also hosts a craft night for her friends every three months.
“Just to get connected,” she said.
As for what attracted her to Mom’s Café, Seubert said, “Having a place where moms can come together.”
“To carve out some mom time and to connect the younger moms and the older mentor moms,” Serra said.
Sharing something she learned as a mom and wants to impart to others, Seubert said, “Our kids go to Saint Stephen’s. My oldest is a senior in high school and he’s applying to college. We’ve had to go back in our memories and come up with the things he’s done to put on his resume. So, I started Google documents on my phone for my 14-year-old and my 9-year-old. Every time they get an award or an honor or volunteer for something I add it to the list. I tell other moms to start doing that now.”
Chinda Sanger and her husband, Tom, recently joined Roser Church. They have a 5-year-old in kindergarten and an 8-year-old in third grade, both of whom attend Anna Maria Elementary. They also have a 4-year-old who attends the School for Constructive Play in Holmes Beach.
“Jen is the president of PTO at Anna Maria Elementary. I know most of the women from the school and I’m here to meet other moms,” Sanger said.
Accompanied by her 12-week-old son Axl – named after Gun’s N’ Roses singer Axl Rose – Christine Mullen was the newest mom in attendance.
“I hope to make connections with moms who are going through similar trials and to learn from the more seasoned moms and get advice from them. I’m scared every day. I just want to raise a good person who has a servant’s heart and I want him to be a good guy,” Mullen said.
Mom’s Café meetings are free, with free childcare provided. The meetings are open to all moms regardless of age or religious affiliation. For meeting dates and more information call 941-778-0414 or visit www.roserchurch.com/moms-cafe/#more-8062.
