Once you become a mom, there are things that only your mom friends TRULY understand.
1. Mom friends understand that moving a child that has finally fallen asleep is sometimes not worth the risk. When you walk in and see this, you just turn right around and go back to wherever it is you came from. Do not disturb them!
2. Mom friends understand that toddlers have their own time table. If you are late because your toddler just HAD to put on deodorant, they don't even question you about it.
3. Mom friends understand that spit-up happens. They don't hold it against you if your shirt looks like this.
4. Mom friends understand that a toddler in a Halloween costume and riding under the cart is perfectly acceptable, even in the middle of July. Anything goes when you need to get your errands done. Pick your battles wisely.
5. Mom friends understand that sometimes sweets are OK... especially when you need just 10 minutes of peace and quiet to make that important phone call.
6. Mom friends understand that the appropriate response when your toddler shows up like this is to smile and tell them how beautiful they look.
Mom Friends GET IT! They don't give you weird looks and they don't hold it against you, because you are both going through the same thing.
What is difficult, is trying to find other mom friends when you first become a mom. It's ironic, because even though you have your child with you 24/7, you can still feel so isolated and alone. As a young mom, I was constantly going to play dates and Mommy-and-Me classes with my son and just hoping to find another cool mom that I could click with. I eventually found my mom village and these are the women that I rely on for everything. I truly don't know where I would be without them.
My mom friends were my rock when I got divorced. When I was ready to date again, one of them urged me to download the Tinder app. I looked through the app and a light bulb went off in my head. It made me think, “Why doesn’t something like this exist for moms to locate other moms that live close to them? MOMS NEED THIS!”
I wanted to ensure that every mom knew what it felt like to have a true village of mom friends. That's when I decided to apply that same concept to the
MomCo app. It helps moms find mom friends and plan play dates in their local area.
MomCo started as an app, but it has grown into so much more. We now have real life communities of moms across the country. Below are just a few pictures of the MomCo moms building their villages! LOVE IT!
Thanks to all of the MomCo moms that submitted pictures of their kiddos for this article. :)
Jillian Darlington is the CEO and Founder of the MomCo app. The MomCo app helps moms locate, connect and meet up with other moms that live close by with similar aged children and common interests. It also helps them find play dates and activities that are happening in their area. Jillian is also a contributor for many parenting websites and a regular parenting expert on Fox5 and CW6 News in San Diego. You can follow Jillian and MomCo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and at www.momcoapp.com.
