When I was a first-time mum still trying to figure out night from day, I was happy to stumble across a web site called Rookie Moms.
Created by two newbie mums, Heather (pic) and Whitney (with bump), the site was dedicated to crafty and creative ways to fill up the days with a new baby.
Since its launch in 2005, the Rookie Moms project has spawned a book Rookie Moms: 250 Activities to Do With (and Without) Your Baby.
Written in the friends’ witty and conversational tone, Rookie Moms is crammed with suggestions for keeping baby and mummy entertained.
Some of my personal favourites include holding an ugly baby (clothes) contest, turning your baby pictures into a comic strip and hosting a margarita mum’s group.
Rookie Moms would make a great baby shower, new mum or born-again mama gift. It’s a handy and helpful reminder that while the act of becoming a mum can be a (huge) pain in the bum, the process of being a new parent is actually loads of fun.
Babes about Town invited Heather and Whitney to be the first guests in our brand new VIB (Very Important Babes) lounge.
1. What’s the biggest challenge of being a first-time mum?
We love our babies to pieces, but watching them alone all day every day can be lonely and boring. The biggest challenge for us, and many new mums, is figuring out what to do all day with a little blob who is so completely dependent and never suggests you take a break and do something for YOU.
2. How did motherhood change you, for better or for worse?
While we still try to fit too much into a day, now instead of independent pursuits, we are likely to be out to brunch with the family, clicking on a laptop during naptime, and dancing to some kids’ rock concert before getting everyone to bed and zoning out in front of video games with our respective husbands. Also, our stomachs are floppy.
3. Why did you start the Rookie Moms project and how has it evolved since you began it?
We started our website as a shared list of our favourite activities when our babies were born (broken down by age of the baby). It has grown into the toddler and preschool years since our children have aged as well as evolved into a much larger community of parents and a book.
4. What’s your favourite activity to do that’s in the book? And not in the book?
One of Heather’s very favourite activities from her son’s first year was going to the movie theatre. We were lucky and had a cinema near us that offered weekly showings for infants, complete with pizza and beer.
Not in the book? Whitney says to throw away any parenting books that make you feel like you are doing something wrong.
To find out more about the Rookie Moms and their book, visit the blog.
