Mum of The Year Nominee - Welcome to the Tribe
Erica O’Connor was thrilled to become a new mum in 2017, yet she found it strangely isolating and lonely at times.
She realised that this less often discussed side of motherhood was in fact incredibly common and bubbling under the surface in many women’s lives.
Erica wanted to create a space where mums could connect and talk freely about all sides of motherhood, as well as their lives outside of their babies. “I had gone to all the typical mum and baby groups and while they were lovely, I thought something more was needed to help mums stay connected.” Erica was determined to change things not just for herself, but for the hundreds of other new mums who were not being catered for.
With many established parent and baby groups in Ireland centred around breastfeeding or others being focused solely on the baby or having prohibitive costs attached, there was a real void for something that supported all women across the board.
“I never felt like I could have a meaningful conversation with another mum, because we would be focused on our kids and it’s hard to try and chat with someone in a small window of time,” she explains.
“I also realised that becoming a mum flips your world upside down. I missed the social side of my life and I wanted to try to improve that.”
She created the Mum Tribe Ireland website and social media pages when her son was six months old. It gives mums the chance to connect not just online, but crucially in real life too. For Erica, there had to be a link to something tangible for it to be truly effective. “I think a lot of mums know the feeling of being at the park with a small child and striking up a conversation with another mum, feeling like you really get along - and never see each other again,” she says. “Our meet-ups helped mums to branch out socially and make proper mum friends in the same boat as them.”
The pandemic changed everything, and Mum Tribe became even more of a lifeline, particularly for those who had given birth during lockdown and were already feeling isolated and vulnerable. “We went from regular meet-ups to nothing overnight. It was such a strange period because connection is so important.”
For Erica, setting up Mum Tribe has not only given hundreds of mums a voice and allowed them to make lasting friendships, it also helped her find herself as a mum. “There are so many seasons of motherhood,” she says. “The beginning is amazing and also full of anxiety. As your child grows you will face different challenges and see them develop into a person you have helped shape.
“Mothers really deserve so much credit for all we do, it’s more than cleaning and schedule juggling - we are our children's comfort and home. Even on the toughest days I remind myself how lucky I am to be my child’s mum.”