When Amy Walton moved to Okotoks about a year ago, she found there was a lot of programming geared to her two young boys, but not much for their mother.
“I didn’t know any moms and I kind of felt like that was the piece I was missing in order to settle in,” said Walton, who moved from Calgary but is originally from the U.K.
After having little luck finding a social setting to spend time with other moms, she decided to launch the SAHM (Stay at Home Moms) Okotoks & Area Facebook group in order to create those connections.
In just over a month, the group has grown to more than 330 members and now has four administrators.
Walton is searching for a space in the community where group members can meet on a regular basis, but for the time being, a weekly calendar of events is posted on the page showing where moms are able to gather. Some of the events are created by the administrators or members, while others piggyback on happenings hosted by the Town or library.
“After having kids many moms suffer postpartum and don’t want to connect with people,” she said. “When I was in Calgary, getting out to these moms’ groups was so beneficial and it’s something that I’ve really missed since moving here.”
Walton, who has been in Canada for eight years, lost twins during pregnancy shortly after arriving and then endured a difficult pregnancy that kept her in hospital for a month before her oldest son was born.
“First there was the loss and then the high-risk pregnancy and I pretty much lost my mind. I couldn’t go back to work or be around a big group of people and it’s taken a lot of years to get to this point,” said Walton, whose husband is also from the U.K., so there was no support system in place.
“I know there’s so many other moms in similar situations, especially after COVID, so it’s about mental health for the mothers. There are so many groups where it’s focused on the kids, but this is more for the moms. The connection with the moms is lacking so that’s what I'm hoping this group will be able to do.”
Walton said she has tried to connect with other moms during activities for her boys, but it’s simply not the right setting.
“You have two minutes of conversation and then you’re chasing your child around,” she said. “It’s so difficult to foster those connections through those child-led groups. You're trying to have a chat, but it’s very surface level.”
Kids are most definitely welcome at all gatherings of her new group, and there are activities to keep them entertained, but the focus is on the social well-being of the mothers.
She said it’s important for their mental health for moms to get out of the house and into social settings with their peers.
“It's about making sure you have that support group, that village everybody talks about where you can reach out to another mom and say, ‘Hey, I’m having a really bad day, can we meet for coffee?' she said.
“My hope is that moms can have that deeper connection so they can reach out when they have tough days. It’s good for kids to have social time, but it’s essential for the moms too.”
