Motherhood Later Than Sooner supports new moms 35+ years old

Image courtesy of Motherhood Later Than Sooner

Robin Gorman Newman vividly recalls the day she brought her young son to a restaurant’s rest room, and a woman nearby inquired if Robin was the boy’s grandma or mother. Shocked and embarrassed, Robin rushed out of the rest room with her son.

Judgment in the public domain is just one example of the challenges new moms over 35+ years face. Robin, a first time new mom at age 42, recognized this and founded Motherhood Later Than Sooner. Established six years ago, she states “Our goal is to inform, empower, and connect those parenting later in life. We define that as someone who became a mom at 35+ whether for the first time or again.”

Unique Differences of Later Moms
Women who have children later do so for many reasons. Some focused on their careers, were simply not ready to have children, or conception took longer than expected. For others, they became a stepmom by marrying into a ready-made family, or chose to have children on their own.

Robin prefers to use the term “Later” rather than “Older,” and notes that though celebrities like Halle Berry, Madonna, and Nicole Kidman glamorize later moms, it can often feel lonely at a grass roots level.

As a new mom, Robin remembers feeling like the oldest mother on the playground. In conversations with other moms, she found that discussions often turned to topics she couldn’t relate to or were trivial. Robin had recently lost her mother, and during one conversation, a younger mom complained that her own mother shopped too much for her child. Incidents such as this highlighted the need for a group that supported women who started families later.

“We have more life experience, we have more wisdom to share. We might sweat the small stuff less. We’ve achieved more in our career. You know who you are as a person. The downside is that many [later moms who have] worked more are higher up [the career ladder] and then leave the workplace, so it’s a harder decision. They’re use to being their own person. On the other hand, they have higher spending power.”

“I think one of the missions of Motherhood Later Than Sooner is to truly be there as a source of support for later moms,” says Robin, “I get so many emails from moms all over world who just feel so isolated and feel exactly as I felt when I first launched Motherhood Later Than Sooner. They’re having so much difficulty connecting with mom peers.”

From Local Chapter to International Presence
Motherhood Later Than Sooner started as a local support group in Long Island and Queens. It has grown to 21 chapters internationally including in Canada, Bermuda, and England. “Who knew? If I had a crystal ball, I would have never predicted [the growth], because Motherhood Later Than Sooner was really born so much out of personal need for me,” states Robin.

‘When I launched it years ago, it started as a local support group. We would have meetings about twice a month led by a social worker. We would get together and share our personal stories and challenges, and it was nice because it was intimate. I’m still friends with some of the moms in that group. We have grown together over the years, and had a chance in a supportive open forum to sort of let it all hang out and know you weren’t alone.”

The organization sends monthly newsletters to members, it’s website features a blog written by moms, and for the first time it is offering a seminar series starting this March. The group also provides informational workshops on topics such as fitness, super foods, and how to help children learn.

Socially, moms get together for Moms Night Out dinners or go to group playdates at the park, children’s museum, and kids’ concerts. Last fall, the organization had its first family weekend getaway at Willow Valley Resorts in Lancaster, PA.

There is no fee to join the organization. Members include not just new moms, but also dads, caretakers, and aspiring later moms. Members stay active through a Facebook Fan Page, Facebook social groups, and the Motherhood Later Than Sooner website which receives 25,000 average total visitors a month.

Future Plans
Motherhood Later Than Sooner recently launched five chapters and is looking for moms to open new ones worldwide. Robin supports new chapters by promoting them on the website, providing press releases for local media, flyers, and media training.

With the launch of the education seminars this Spring, Robin hopes to create similar opportunities for moms in the future, as well as exploring the use of podcasts to communicate with members.

For more info: Robin Gorman Newman is the founder of MotherhoodLater.com and runs the New York City & Long Island chapter of Motherhood Later Than Sooner. Join it at Meetup.com. For advertising, sponsorship opportunities, consulting, or to book Robin for special appearances, please contact her at biz@motherhoodlaterthansooner.com.