The Big Three Mom Companies in Canada

02/27/2013

I can’t tell you how often I am asked if a) we are a mom’s group and b) how we are different than the ‘other ones’ out there.

I can tell you without a doubt, we are not a moms group – we are simply the platform that connects moms to each other as well as the fun and informative resources in their community.  We want to introduce moms to ‘the other groups’ and classes out there to keep them connected from week 9 and on (our classes are generally 8 weeks long)  The entire goal of Mommy Connections is to CONNECT MOMS (imagine that!) J  We offer very few events as our programs are the cornerstone of our business model and always have been.  We want the same group of moms going through our programs to really connect and we will never offer an online forum (there is already another company that does an amazing job of this… more on that below) Here is a great description of what we do from the mouth of my Halton Region Director, Carrie Kelly:

We offer Mom to Be, Mom & Baby and Mom & Tot programming whereby we introduce moms and their families to a number of resources and services available to them within their own community. We’ll explore nutritional advice, fitness programs, music programs, infant massage, baby sign language, valuable first aid/CPR techniques, sleep solutions, child care options and more.

We combine educational talks with activities the moms can do with their little ones; moms meet other moms within the community and form valuable social connections through our interactive programming.

Each mom also receives a swag bag filled with product samples, gift certificates and key information from our various speakers. We also invite a local professional photographer to join us one week to snap an amazing photo, complimentary, of each mom with their child.

Now, you might be wondering, who are these other groups I am alluding to?  Well, they are mom owned businesses, just like Mommy Connections!  In my opinion, the top two Canadian companies that provide support and fun for moms are momstown and Modern Mama.  Momstown was created before Mommy Connections and was the first company of its kind to really make an impact in the Canadian mom’s group community.  They now boast more than 400 online and in person events per month across the country for their members.  Now that is a lot of moms & kids creating new friendships and support!  Modern Mama, also a membership based company, was started shortly thereafter with the unique idea of trendy events around town for moms with nanny service – genius and very fun to attend, from personal experience!  These are the exact types of businesses that Mommy Connections Directors love to promote.  We want our moms to learn and connect in our classes and then continue to grow their new friendships through groups like momstown and events like Modern Mama provides.

Here are the current website descriptions for each company:

• Mommy Connections – Mommy Connections introduces you to programs and services available within your community. Our classes provide a unique learning opportunity as well as a fun way to bond with your child and other moms in a social environment.  Demo the most popular classes in your community and learn from leading experts on a wide range of mom, baby & family topics in our 6 and 8 week programs.  We provide education and social connections for the modern family before baby and beyond!
• Modern Mama – Modern Mama is a social and educational community for moms.  With everything from local events and resources to blogs and articles, we are your modern ‘moms club.’  Our events are small, private, led by an expert and most offer nanny service for you (since 2008!)
• Momstown – delivers a beautiful mixture of support and fun to moms with children ages 0-6, and is a place for moms to connect with other moms – and resources – in their own communities, both online and in person.  Through a combination of early educational programming and peer support, momstown is extremely proud of our reputation for connecting and supporting moms across Canada.

Mommy Connections classes started in a church basement in Southwest Edmonton almost 3.5 years ago offering postnatal classes (which we now call our Mom & Baby Classes) and have since grown to include Mom to Be and Mom & Tot classes.  Our moms in our first Mom & Baby classes asked why we didn’t offer prenatal so they could connect before having their babies and they also wanted to ‘graduate’ to something different when their babies became toddlers, hence the creation of Mom & Tot.  We have never strayed from our original business plan and we certainly don’t intend to!  My Eastern Canada Regional Director, Karen Davey had this to say about our classes:

• We are a weekly pre-registered course, which means you will see the same small group of moms every week.  No need to fear that if you connect with a mom, you may never see her again as in the case with a lot of drop in programs.
• The pre-registration and payment also ensures a sense of commitment…a little snow or a sleepless night isn’t going to stop you from showing up…and once you do you’ll be so glad that you did!
• Our classes provide two different topics/activities per week.  This is a great way to try out a program before committing financially to an 8+ week class that you may discover on week one you and your baby don’t really enjoy!
• Our programs are geared towards very specific age groups, ensuring that you have things in common with your group and that you can enjoy the bulk of your maternity leave together.
• A lot of other programs focus on just on the mom (fitness, pilates, etc) or just on the baby (sign language, storytime)  Mommy Connections classes ensure we spend time focusing on you and activities for bonding with your baby…all with mixed with a healthy dose of socialization with other moms!
• Each mom gets an amazing swag bag valued at almost $300.  They feature hand selected products and services available with your immediate community…with special discounts just for Mommy Connections members
• Since we have been running programs for almost 4 years, you can bet we have participated in every type of mom & baby class out there.  We always make sure that our presenters are the best of the best!

All three companies have so much to offer and I think it is easy to say that we all started because we are moms ourselves and saw that there was a need for online forums, events, social classes for connecting and meet ups.  As a second time, new mom, myself, I know from experience that moms need all the help they can get.  If you have access to any of the three companies in your area, something different like a public health, community or church group – join in! You simply can’t have too many connections or too much support!

You can learn more about them at www.modernmama.ca and www.momstown.ca

Happy Connecting Moms!

With love from the connecting experts,

Carol & The Entire Mommy Connections Team xo