What Happened To The Sisterhood Of Motherhood?

Remember when moms used to share parenting tips without judging each other? What happened to the sisterhood of motherhood?

Do you remember the expression “It take a village to raise a child”?  Did you know it’s actually a proverb, whereby a child is more likely to flourish and become a healthy and well-balanced adult if the entire community is actually involved in how the child is raised?    Doesn’t that sound wonderful?!?

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My parents lived in a small village in Wales when my brother and I were very small.  My mom describes it as an idyllic town, and a lovely place for young families – everybody knew each other, everyone had small kids, and everyone was willing to step in at a moment’s notice if you needed anyone to watch your kids.  In fact, my mom and her neighbours rotated babysitting each other’s children so that they could have date nights with their hubbies.  Do you know what I call that?  Genius!  Also, it’s pretty much the epitome of a sisterhood: a community of women linked in the raising of their children and their neighbor’s children.  Moms, aunts, sisters and everything in between were there for one another, all raising their children as a community.  How Awesome!

What happened to that sisterhood of motherhood?

Fast forward forty years and five thousand kilometers, and the Sisterhood of Motherhood seems to be a thing of the past, at least where I live.  I live in a suburb of Montreal, and I am blessed to have my parents five minutes away from me.  But many of my friends with children are nowhere close to their parents and family, geographically speaking.  And with house prices being what they are, more and more moms with young families are spread out all over the suburban areas of Montreal, making it difficult to get together with our friends.

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When we first moved to suburbia, I made it a point to say hello to whoever I saw when I was out for a walk pushing my son in his stroller – especially other moms.  Most of my neighbors smiled in return, and said hello.  But there were a handful who looked so surprised that anyone was speaking to them, that they didn’t respond.  I realized that if I was looking for a community of like-minded moms to bond with, then I was going to have to do the leg work myself.  I would have to push myself out of my comfort zone and create my own Sisterhood.  Thank goodness I found my sisters, through a little social networking site called Facebook.  Just search for Mom Groups in your area!!

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To be in a sisterhood, we need women who will stand by us unconditionally; women with whom we have an unbreakable bond that cannot be shaken, and who share our values and goals.  So who better to fit the bill than a group (gang?!?) of fabulous moms whose kids play with yours, and with whom you can drink copious amounts of coffee with; all while using each other as sounding boards for the crazy ride of motherhood?  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: seriously, get yourself a group of Mom Friends to help you navigate the parenthood waters.  Let’s bring back the Sisterhood Of Motherhood together!  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m on my way to a Mom’s Night Out.  I’m telling you: I LOVE these women!

Are you making a conscious effort to be a part of the sisterhood of motherhood? What do you do to bond with and support other moms? Share in the comments!

19 thoughts on “What Happened To The Sisterhood Of Motherhood?”

  1. Although I didn’t grow up this way, it would have been nice to have family or a sisterhood around. When my parents were out of town we always had babysitters. They were amazing, though. I think it’s great to have a support system of women/moms to help out when needed and to give back to in return.

  2. I wish things were still like that now days, a helping hand would be so amazing! Having said that I am so used to doing things my way and by myself have if anyone gives me unasked for advice I get annoyed and wish they would mind their own business lol

  3. This would totally be awesome to have again amongst mothers! So many times we are comparing each other and not building each other up.

  4. Christina Richard

    i guess i didn’t realize that i am already doing this! My 3 girlfriends and i take turns babysitting for each other for some much needed time away. But It’s so true, everyone should be involved in a community like this, sisterhood of motherhood!

  5. One of my besties used to talk about this all of the time when she had her 2nd child and became a stay at home mom. She joined some mom groups for playdates and such but she said she found it so hard to bond.

  6. I could not agree with this post more! I think together we are stronger and there is so much power in supporting one another. Thanks for THE reminder! I will be sharing this post with my closest friends!

  7. I could have used a support group of mothers when I was raising my daughter. Alas, there was none to be found and I was on my own.

  8. I have a lot of my family nearby, but not a lot of close friends. It seems like people here are so set in their ways, it’s either their way or you are doing it wrong. I would love some more support!

  9. THIS!! What an excellent post. I am a new mom to a 3 month old girl and honestly the only way I have survived this far is because I found a solid group of moms that I can vent to, ask questions or just laugh with. The sisterhood of motherhood is hard to find but once you find your mom tribe don’t let them go!

  10. This is so great- I miss having supportive people around. I hear people being so judgmental instead of supportive and it’s so sad. I always say “We’re in this together- why not support each other in this journey?” – Nicole

  11. Jody Leduc Smith

    It does seem like we are always attacking each other instead of having one anothers back. Arguing over things like breastfeeding vs. bottle, cosleeping, etc… Great article on sisterhood!

  12. I would love to have a sisterhood like this, where everyone helps everyone. It’s hard for us to find or trust anyone to watch our kids so we can have some alone time, or even just for the kids to play with for a couple of hours so I can get stuff done. I should really start looking in my area for groups to become a part of. Not only would it help me, but I know the kids would enjoy it too.

  13. That’s so nice to have that sisterhood! We moved over the summer to a new state, and our neighborhood has been great. It feels like family, but I know many people don’t have that support.

  14. I always have my fiancee’s back when it comes to the kids. We always work together in tandem to provide them the best that we can!

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