Shadra’s stepdaughter was the best babysitter ever—and then she left for college. Suddenly Shadra was sitter-less for the first time. Finding someone new felt scary, but without a sitter she was turning into a scary, frazzled mom!
Read this post to see how she learned to cope.
What are your sanity savers? Tell us!
Recently, Mariah Carey admitted to firing her nannies frequently. Yikes! Global parenting expert Katie (a working mom herself), doesn’t think it’s just because she’s picky. In fact, many moms probably identify with Mariah. So, what’s the real reason she’s always firing her nannies?
Read Katie’s post to hear her response.
What do you think the nanny’s relationship in the family should be? Tell us!
It all started in August 2006, when a local club, the Marin Parents of Multiples Club, became the first group ever to adopt BigTent. Supporting close to 300 members in Marin County, Calif., the group and its leadership team were seeking a better way to manage its membership, including tools to organize a special sub-group for parents of twins over five.
Today, BigTent currently hosts many parents of multiples groups that span 15 states, with new states coming into the pipeline each month.
So what fuels the passion that multiples groups have for BigTent? In some ways, the proof is in the pudding — or rather, the increased rate of participation. Mica Garretson is Newsletter Editor for St. Petersburg Parents of Twins and Supertwins in St. Petersburg, Fla. Mica loves the fact that Big Tent has streamlined membership renewals for her group.
“This time last year, we had 16 people pay their dues on time,” she says. “This year we have 33. Thank you so much, BigTent, for making this process so much easier!”
Wondering what BigTent can do for your group? Just check out the screenshots below for more examples. You can also sign up to attend a live web demo, or start setting up your group today.
Membership forms
With BigTent you can design a custom membership form to collect vital information for your club. Find out who’s interested in volunteering, who’s on bedrest, and more:
Database reports
Use our secure, admin-only database to look up information for your group! This will allow you to contact members and support them more efficiently:
Sub-groups
Want to organize playgroups and hobby clubs for your group? You can create sub-groups to your heart’s content on Big Tent. Plus, you can make private sub-groups for your board and other special commmitees:
Have questions about starting a group on BigTent? Just email learnmore@bigtent.com for more information.
The reasons for celebrating keep rolling in! This time we’d like to applaud our team’s very own Jaine Murphy, who was honored as one of Nabisco’s 100 Extraordinary Women this past weekend in Hollywood. The national contest sought out women who strive to improve their surrounding communities, and Jaine received the award for founding Moms and Tots San Diego (MTSD), a large parent support group in San Diego, Calif.
“Being chosen was a total shock,” said Jaine. “While my members always send me notes telling me about how the group has touched their lives (which is validation enough), it felt really nice to be spoiled a little in recognition for all my hard work.”
Jaine started the group in May 2006, anxious to find support from other moms adjusting to their lives as caretakers for fragile newborns. Today, Moms and Tots has 675 members on Big Tent, connecting 24/7 to chat and share advice. In fact, Moms and Tots members generated over 5000 discussion messages in June alone!
Accompanied by her husband, Brad, and their toddler daughter, Alexis, Jaine jetted off to L.A. for a weekend of pampering and fun. Somewhere between photo shoots, a private screening of Phoebe in Wonderland, and dancing a conga line with two nuns (who also won the contest), Jaine also managed to squeeze in some fine dining. According to her, “The chocolate dipped strawberries with cheesecake filling were to die for!”
Jaine is now back in San Diego, single-handedly (wo-)manning MTSD and helping BigTent launch new groups in her role as a Community Coach. Reflecting on her weekend, Jaine says, “I was truly humbled and proud to be in the presence of so many great women.”
Look for Jaine and her 99 extraordinary cohorts in an upcoming edition of People magazine.
Jaine and Alexis, watching Daddy guest star as a dinner show pirate
Jaine with Bill Pullman, who’s starring in Phoebe in Wonderland
Jaine on YouTube, selling the benefits of Moms and Tots (and a very vintage version of BigTent!)
Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Bethel MOPS! This active North Platte, NE group is our first in the state — a feat we owe to the innovative work of their Publicity Director, Kendra Carper.
In her efforts to spread the word about MOPS, Kendra was delighted to discover BigTent as a web solution for her group. Kendra raves, “Every part of Big Tent is created as though it was intended for our group!” She’s a particular fan of Big Tent’s color-coded calendar, our folder for sharing newsletters and other documents, and sub-groups for organizing her steering team.
Kendra has been involved with Bethel MOPS for three years. When asked what fuels her community involvement, she said, “I believe whole-heartedly in MOPS International’s ministry philosophy that ‘Better Moms Make a Better World.’ I love helping women become better mommies, which in turn grows a whole generation of better kids.”
Kendra credits her husband, Steven, for helping her balance her schedule and build quality ministries within her MOPS group. When not working with MOPS, Kendra is busy with her two boys, four-year-old Jackson and one-year-old Brady, and the family’s “temperamental dachsund,” Abby.
Our team applauds your hard work, Kendra, and wishes you and Bethel MOPS the best of luck in your ongoing endeavors!
Recognizing your volunteers is a surefire way to increase morale in your community group. So imagine how Kat Whiteley, technology guru and leader in her Seattle parenting group, Eastside Mothers of Multiples (EMOMS), felt when she was named Mother of the Year by the club.
“Actually, I felt a little bit embarassed,” says Kat. “I’ve never been ‘good’ at receiving compliments, and this has been about the biggest compliment I could ever be given.” Kat is a mother of two sets of twins (yes, you read that right) and describes her parenting role as “the most important job I’ve ever had.”
Kat, Dave, and their two sets of twins
Since EMOMS has been active on Big Tent since August 2007, we’ve been fortunate enough to ask our resident Mother of the Year to share some parenting advice with us. Kat, in her usual down-to-earth manner, assures that “you do what you have to do.” In her words:
So much of the time we worry about doing the exact “right” thing. But when you are in the thick of things, living one day at a time, and sometimes one hour at a time, you have to just do what is appropriate in the moment. Maybe that means turning on the TV for half an hour so you can have a quiet moment to regroup. Getting through each day and being true to yourself will let you be the best mom you can be for your kids.
Throughout her busy days of parenting, Kat finds time to roll up her sleeves and get to work in the community. When EMOMS jobs for an email and website administrator went unfilled, Kat stepped up. Scanning the group discussion forums for members’ questions with zero responses, Kat chimes in — researching outside resources as needed — and makes sure everyone feels supported. In addition, Kat serves as Publicity and Web Site Manager for her church group, Northshore Baptist MOPS.
What keeps Kat going? “I know what is possible using technology, and I am anxious for groups to reap the benefits,” she says. “The other major force that fuels my continued passion for volunteering is my faith, and the belief that I can make a better world by doing what I can, one mom at a time.”
Kudos to Kat, another wonder woman walking in our midst! And when she’s not wrapped up with her seven-year-old boys and five-year-old girls, look for her to whizz by, riding a dirt bike — one of her favorite hobbies.
Vroom, vroom, there goes Kat
We’re continually impressed by the outpouring of dedication and support which members receive from their community organizations. From pulling out all the stops to host a reunion gala for former teammates, to dreaming up new fundraisers to bolster youth in arts, such great groups energize our team to continue adding features under the Tent.
In recounting her own quest for parenting advice and camaraderie, one of our colleagues, Archana Bhat, illustrates this unflagging volunteer spirit:
“Are they amazing? Or slightly crazy?”
These questions swirled in my head when I was pregnant with my twins and had just joined my local multiples group, Eastside Mothers of Multiples (EMOMs). Let me explain. When you are pregnant — with twins at that — everything seems overwhelming. I actually was scared of Babies R Us for the first six months of my pregnancy! I didn’t recognize half the items in the store, and the choices for raising baby were almost too crushing for me.
Then I joined EMOMS. When I got access to their message boards, I was so happy to read stories from other moms, who themselves had once been clueless about twin boppy pillows, breastfeeding multiples, and purchasing two of everything instead of one. A member nearby even called to reassure me, talking to me at length about my pregnancy and what to expect in the upcoming months.
Post-pregnancy, I attended the bi-annual Toys & Togs Sale and came home with tons of gently used toys, clothes, and strollers — all for the bargain basement price of $100! The sale was run better than any corporate event I have ever been part of, with enough rules and regulations to ensure a smooth sailing day for buyers and sellers alike. I then realized that the women of EMOMS are nothing short of amazing.
I left that sale deeply inspired by the club, and feeling as though I should give back for all that I had received. I emailed the existing technology chair and asked if I could help out in any way. She immediately replied, “Can you find us a new member site?”
In my search, I lighted upon Big Tent, and EMOMS soon launched on the site in Summer 2007.
Almost all the moms in my club were incredulous that I took on such a Herculean task with young kids at home. But that’s when I realized I had become the “EMOM” archetype that had once puzzled me — the seemingly tireless, always passionate mom. By adding the responsibility of securing a new group technology to my plate, I actually reduced my stress, and gained a mentally challenging outlet to counterbalance the other forces in my life. While raising twins as a stay-at-home mother is hard, my refreshed outlook enabled me to appreciate the wonderful moments of parenting bliss that punctuate the usual chaos.
In the end, EMOMS got a brand-new functional web platform, and I got way more than I anticipated: my freedom, my sanity, and a new network of friends and support.
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