By Suzanne Besser
When Beacon Hiller Shannon McAllister was expecting a baby this summer, she was faced with many choices. “Do you go back to work, do you stay at home, do you breast feed – there were so many things I wanted to talk with other mothers about,” she said.
And she isn’t the only one who felt a need to connect with other moms. Kristin Connell and Melissa St. Clair, whose children are a bit older, feel the same way and suspected others do, too. So in September the three r launched Beacon Hill Moms as an offshoot of the Beacon Hill Women’s Forum.
“Beacon Hill Moms is all about connecting, exchanging ideas and having a community with which to share the joys and frustrations of raising children,” said St. Clair, the mother of two-year-old Ella. “I love the fact that it is open to mothers with children of all ages. It is a great opportunity to be both mentor and mentee.”
With so many families now raising their children in the neighborhood, Beacon Hill Moms is catching on. Mothers ranging from those pregnant with their first child to those with teens have signed on and are helping to spread the word to others throughout the neighborhood.
Connell, St. Clair and McAllister have planned a few regular events each month, such as Sunday brunches and dinners for moms and kids as well as a mom’s night out. Besides those, members enjoy impromptu social gatherings at area playgrounds and museums, as well as special seasonal events, such as last Saturday’s trip to Fenway Park for trick-or-treating and a chance to meet Wally the Green Monster.
“The group is evolving, as are the needs, but we have found by offering a variety of events at various locations and times, we are able to reach more moms in general and offer something for everyone,” said McAllister.
And the moms say that the connections they are building with each other are invaluable. “As a new mother I am now finding it very helpful to get in touch with others in my same situation,” said McAllister, whose baby Francis was born three months ago. “Being a mom is different from anything I have been through to date, and it has been so refreshing to talk with others who know exactly what you are going through. There is a very steep learning curve that goes along with bringing children into the world, and the more help we can all get from each other in terms of advice and support, the better.”
Their kids are connecting, too. “At a recent brunch, my two-year old Ella was enjoying her time sitting next to Ryan, Connell’s son, who is 3,” said St. Clair. “The two were sharing books and games. Ryan is a bit older and it was good for the younger children to see an example of a well-behaved child at brunch. It’s also great to see how children interact with adults at different ages.”
Like McAllister, Sandra Gilpatrick is a working mother. She wishes she had taken more than two months off for maternity leave when her son Lachlan, now 7, was born. In a male dominated industry, she didn’t get to talk about motherhood very often at the office and didn’t know any other mothers with babies at work. Now a Beacon Hill Moms member, she particularly enjoys talking to mothers who are about four years ahead of her to see what the ‘next step’ is like.
She enjoys mentoring as well. “At a recent brunch, I had the oldest child so I hope I was able to provide helpful wisdom to the other ladies,” she said. “I wish I had had that opportunity when Lachlan was younger. There is so much wisdom in a group of mothers.”
The organizers have just launched a Beacon Hill Moms Facebook page that lists a full calendar of events as well as helpful links to websites like Mommy Poppins and Kid Nosh that list child-friendly activities and restaurants in Boston. A closed group, it is a real-time communications portal where members can share photos and stories, ask for advice, announce their plans and invite others to come along with them.
There is no charge to join Beacon Hill Moms. For more information and a full calendar of events, email bhwfmoms@gmail.com or check out the Beacon Hill Moms Facebook page. BHWF members can also access the information on the connections page under the Beacon Hill Moms tab.