Hello and Welcome,
Welcome to Mamabake in Macarthur :)
To say I am overwhelmed by the response already is an understatement - I am looking forward to meeting those I haven't met before and developing (and deepening) friendships.
A little background....
For those that don't know me - I am Sam, I have 4 children (twin girls who are about to be 5,a little tornado about to be 3 and a little cruisy man about to be 1) - I have survived PND after each of my pregnancies, have survived AND in my last two (including my last pregnancy where I started counselling and was medicated with anti-depressants). I have now been diagnosed with BiPolar II.
Why am I sharing this? Well for one I'm pretty honest about it all, and for another - it is the driving force behind me wanting to get Mamabake established in the Macarthur Region.
I am a SAHP, and like many SAHP even with things like Playgroup (which I am a self confessed addict to) I have found over the last 5 years the adult stimulation has rapidly declined - and well children, bless them, aren't the most stimulating of conversations at times and I crave adult contact (my husband works ridiculously long and stupid hours).
To me - this is where Mamabake steps in.
It provides that adult contact and stimulation that can be lacking for many SAHP, it provides a community that many do not have the contact with (I know myself I have no family here in Sydney, I had no friends when I moved here from Adelaide and my MIL - the only family we have near us - works full time). The village many of our parents had and their parents had when they were raising children seems to have sadly diminished and disappeared over time.
To that end there is something that can help - Mamabake.
You simply bring yourself, the ingredients you need to create your dish, utensils and containers to take away the other provided meals in. There is the option to pre-cook if you prefer and then you can spend the time socialising with the rest of the group/interacting and supervising any children that are present.
All that I ask from you is this - that you let the organiser of your area (as down the track we will need to split into smaller groups just from a purely logistical point of view) know the day before if you will be attending so they know rough numbers to expect - obviously things happen (like illness) and that is completely understandable :)
Initially we will be doing freezeable school snacks - as winter approaches we will move to meals, like many families we all that wonderfully delightful night (I have heard it called Hell Night or Fright Night in the past) where you are running here/there and everywhere else - having a meal in the freezer for those nights will take the stress off immensely.
If a mumma bear is sick, or has a new baby, or has something that causes upheaval and disruption in her life - the mamabake village steps up and carries the load for a while - this is what I want us to do - to create that village that we can rely and count on when it seems there is no one else to help.
Together - we can bring our village together again.
All I need from you for now is to send me a few details - so we can work out serving sizes :)
1. Number of children
2. Allergies (if any)
3. Dietary requirements
Could you please also advise if you give permission for any photographs of yourself/your children to appear online in our blog - if you do not wish this to occur I will ensure your rights are respected.
I am working with another member of our village in terms of applying to various community groups for a larger space to work in - for now it will be at my house (I am happy to host every week or we can alternate), I also have space in my car (as a 7 seater) to pick up people who need transport - I have one bolt and 4 adult spaces available in my vehicle if required.
If you know of parents (dads are more than welcome) in your local area who want to be involved it may be beneficial to create mini groups - to minimise your travel time and give you a greater presence in your own communities :)
Welcome to Mamabake in Macarthur :)
To say I am overwhelmed by the response already is an understatement - I am looking forward to meeting those I haven't met before and developing (and deepening) friendships.
A little background....
For those that don't know me - I am Sam, I have 4 children (twin girls who are about to be 5,a little tornado about to be 3 and a little cruisy man about to be 1) - I have survived PND after each of my pregnancies, have survived AND in my last two (including my last pregnancy where I started counselling and was medicated with anti-depressants). I have now been diagnosed with BiPolar II.
Why am I sharing this? Well for one I'm pretty honest about it all, and for another - it is the driving force behind me wanting to get Mamabake established in the Macarthur Region.
I am a SAHP, and like many SAHP even with things like Playgroup (which I am a self confessed addict to) I have found over the last 5 years the adult stimulation has rapidly declined - and well children, bless them, aren't the most stimulating of conversations at times and I crave adult contact (my husband works ridiculously long and stupid hours).
To me - this is where Mamabake steps in.
It provides that adult contact and stimulation that can be lacking for many SAHP, it provides a community that many do not have the contact with (I know myself I have no family here in Sydney, I had no friends when I moved here from Adelaide and my MIL - the only family we have near us - works full time). The village many of our parents had and their parents had when they were raising children seems to have sadly diminished and disappeared over time.
To that end there is something that can help - Mamabake.
You simply bring yourself, the ingredients you need to create your dish, utensils and containers to take away the other provided meals in. There is the option to pre-cook if you prefer and then you can spend the time socialising with the rest of the group/interacting and supervising any children that are present.
All that I ask from you is this - that you let the organiser of your area (as down the track we will need to split into smaller groups just from a purely logistical point of view) know the day before if you will be attending so they know rough numbers to expect - obviously things happen (like illness) and that is completely understandable :)
Initially we will be doing freezeable school snacks - as winter approaches we will move to meals, like many families we all that wonderfully delightful night (I have heard it called Hell Night or Fright Night in the past) where you are running here/there and everywhere else - having a meal in the freezer for those nights will take the stress off immensely.
If a mumma bear is sick, or has a new baby, or has something that causes upheaval and disruption in her life - the mamabake village steps up and carries the load for a while - this is what I want us to do - to create that village that we can rely and count on when it seems there is no one else to help.
Together - we can bring our village together again.
All I need from you for now is to send me a few details - so we can work out serving sizes :)
1. Number of children
2. Allergies (if any)
3. Dietary requirements
Could you please also advise if you give permission for any photographs of yourself/your children to appear online in our blog - if you do not wish this to occur I will ensure your rights are respected.
I am working with another member of our village in terms of applying to various community groups for a larger space to work in - for now it will be at my house (I am happy to host every week or we can alternate), I also have space in my car (as a 7 seater) to pick up people who need transport - I have one bolt and 4 adult spaces available in my vehicle if required.
If you know of parents (dads are more than welcome) in your local area who want to be involved it may be beneficial to create mini groups - to minimise your travel time and give you a greater presence in your own communities :)
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