Guest post by Fi Morrison – Mumma Morrison
Motherhood is a rollercoaster. That has become one of my new mantras. It reminds me of the highs and lows us mums face, and to me that is an encouragement (as I hope it can be for so many of you out there too). The start of my motherhood journey wasn’t smooth. In fact, it was really difficult, and it took me a while to get to this stage now where I absolutely love it (99% of the time anyway!).
I struggled with anxiety in the early weeks and months after my son’s birth. He had a well-developed set of lungs and an incredibly fussy period, making me terrified of leaving the house. What got me through this tough time was the support of my mum tribe (group, community, friends, village – whatever you want to call them). Without the support of mum friends who are experiencing the same stresses and emotional upheaval, I would probably still be a hermit (and I’ll admit, some days I still am!).
Due to this, I was extremely attracted to the idea of the Babes + Picnics initiative when I heard about it. Founded by the lovely Lucia De Mello in Brisbane, the aim of Babes + Picnics is to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for mums to meet together (monthly) with their bubs and to socialise and develop friendships. While we know that the Sutherland Shire has a lot of great resources, with many mums connected to local mother’s groups, playgroups, or the like, there may be some mums who feel isolated or lonely as a result of relocation, health issues or other concerns. Babes + Picnics aims to support all mums, no matter the age of their children or their current life circumstances.
What makes Babes + Picnics so unique?
- It is an Australia wide initiative – there are over 20 picnics coordinated across almost every state in Australia every month;
- B + P aims to support small businesses, with giveaway prizes donated each month for lucky mums and bubs to win;
- Each month a charity is nominated by the ambassador of the picnic, and the mums bring small donations to support a charity (so far we have supported “Got a Pen?” with stationery supplies, and Amelie House with kitchen appliances and utensils);
- B + P aims to bring together as many mums as possible from the local area to create a local network and support of mums.
“Got A Pen?” charity donations
Babes + Picnics Sutherland Shire
In February, myself and a lovely friend of mine, Karla, decided that the Sutherland Shire could really use a group like Babes + Picnics. While we are a part of an amazing mother’s group, it is always nice to expand our networks, as well as support those in need (a real draw card for us) and the local community/small businesses. Each month, Karla and I organise a charity to support, a venue and date for a picnic, and mums and bubs (and toddlers) come along to have some fun. We have had a wonderful response from local businesses – for example for our first picnic, Café Y in Menai offered us discounted coffees and meals, and were very hospitable by bringing the food out to us.
If you are a mum in the Sutherland Shire (it doesn’t matter how old your child is or how many you have!), Babes + Picnics is for you! Karla and I would love to have you come along and meet other mums in the area. If you’d like more information about Babes + Picnics in general, feel free to visit Lucia’s website HERE, or if you’d like to join our Facebook group (where all the picnics are organised), please feel free to request to join HERE. If you do not have Facebook, please contact me at [email protected] and I can pass on all the details to you.
We look forward to meeting you at our next picnic (and stay tuned for a SPECIAL Mother’s Day event on Friday, 12th May!). xx
Fi Morrison
www.mummamorrison.com
