The Power of Connection: Forging New Friendships in Motherhood

As they say, it takes a village to raise a child. The journey to motherhood comes with a steep learning curve with no instruction manual. Every newborn is unique and every newly minted mother has a different coping mechanism. Caring for a baby and small children, all while trying to run a household, requires a great deal of time and energy.

The Mothers of YWLC circle was created to be the village and support network that every mother wanted but never had the time to seek out. With experienced mothers and mothers-to-be from diverse backgrounds sharing their support and wealth of resources and tips, the motherhood journey might just be a little less daunting and where you’d forge new friendships in this new phase.

Curious about this circle? We speak to Shermin and Aimee on their experience of being in this circle and how it has helped them.

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Shermin: I first found out about the Circle through the YWLC email newsletter. I was expecting my first child and really wanted some advice from more experienced mothers, so I thought it was a good avenue to get advice and tips from them.

Through the sharing of the other mummies, I learnt about how the mothers had their own ways of juggling family and work, and how they coped when they returned to the workforce. There is no silver bullet or magic balance when it comes to motherhood, family and work but through the sharings from other members and understanding my own priorities, it has helped to figure out what works for me.

The Mothers of YWLC is an intimate circle that allows the mummies in the group to feel comfortable sharing personal details and it definitely helps to build a lot of trust within the circle itself. .

Aimee: I came across the Mothers of YWLC Circle on the YWLC closed Facebook group, and was very excited! The learning curve to motherhood is very steep, and like many new mummies, I wanted to understand how I could better balance both my career and motherhood.

There are many mothers in the chat: moms-to-be, moms, and even my ex-schoolmates - sharing their experiences and resources. It was not only helpful and time-saving but also heartening to receive tips from such a wide variety of ladies who also want to support fellow mummies and mummies-to-be! Some of the moms have recent experiences, so compared to reading books or researching online, it was a lot more relatable and applicable.

I have also tried joining other mom-related circles out of YWLC but have found that the YWLC one is more relevant and focused. The team that organises the circle engages us, ensuring that we are discussing on topics that matters to us.

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The motherhood journey can be likened to continuously pouring water from the jug to support their family, even when the jug is empty. To keep pouring the ‘water’ needed to support a family, the jug needs to be refilled. Looking after yourself is the way to “refill the jug” - and it can come in the form of venting within your support circle or asking for help!

Stay strong mothers! You are awesome and you can do it!

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The Power of Connection series that is part of the Membership Campaign where we put a spotlight on what goes on behind the scenes as well as showcase the types of connections members can forge within the organisation.

We hope that our members are empowered by the growth that such sparks can bring and the value it delivers to strengthen their sense of community.

Check out the other Power of Connection Series:

• Impact of a Trusted Network of Like-minded Friends

• Member Matchups

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Organising Committee: Membership

Artwork: Tabitha Chee

Interviewer: Teresa Widodo

Interviewees: Shermin Ho, Aimee Kwan

Editors: Joaquim Tan, Kristin Loo, Nisha Rajoo, Joey Ong