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Playgroup Spotlight
SMMC 40+ PARENTS
By: Eve Diamond | November 3, 2022
As a member of SMMC for almost a decade, I've served in various roles from Board member to smaller volunteer positions, mostly dictated by the time I had available. I have watched SMMC's engagement ebb and flow and have seen firsthand that the more effort I put into the Club, the more I get out of it. One of my current volunteer roles is heading up the Special Interest group of SMMC Moms who are over 40.
I remember when my first son was born in 2013, I had recently turned 40 and felt self-conscious of being "an older mom" and not being married to my significant other. At that time, the SMMC 40+ special interest group wasn't active. Thankfully, all that has changed, and we're now 90 members and growing! My family has grown too; I got married in 2014 and had my second son in 2020 at the start of the Pandemic. During that time I felt isolated once again. I remembered the sense of community I had from our age-based playgroup, and I wanted to specifically meet women who were closer to my age. My personal need for connection led me to re-engage with SMMC and get more involved with the 40+ group.
Since I joined, we've done a wide variety of gatherings, including a Galentine's Luncheon (for Valentine's Day), a huge Kids Clothing Swap, multiple Moms’ Nights Out and Happy Hours. After each of these events, I'm always in awe seeing connections made, and so grateful for our tight little community that evolved within the larger SMMC and Marin communities. We are a mix of Moms who represent all the different ways of parenting—heterosexual and gay couples, blended families, single Moms by choice, etc.
Our supportive community regularly spills over to our What's App group. Mamas share sleep and weaning advice for their kiddos, fun event happenings, baby gear recommendations, and of course swap childcare provider names. No posts are off limits. Not long ago one mama's fridge abruptly broke, and her frozen milk stash was under threat of spoiling. She got a list of repair people from our group and was able to get her fridge serviced that afternoon. Hooray!
Recently, when I raised the topic of "why we click", I was reminded that our older age is part of the group's secret sauce. We arrived as mothers with years of life experiences under our belt and embraced motherhood in a unique way. Many of us know all too well the ups and downs of fertility treatments and the sometimes exhausting road we had to travel to become parents. With age comes a sense of self and security, leaving more room for empathy and desire to connect, with less room for some of those festering competitive moments. Though we may not have time to be able to see one another often due to demanding schedules, there is a unique feeling of being connected, nonetheless. As one of our members, Lynn, wisely said, "If I should go straight from post-partum to perimenopausal, this group would get it!".
Anna Beckmann serves SMMC as Director of Playgroups. She lives in Tiburon with her husband, Eric, and her two sons, Jack and James. She and her 7-month old have already made some great friendships in their very active playgroup. She finds leading SMMC playgroups a fun and fulfilling role. Contact Anna if any of you would be interested in volunteering with the playgroups team!