Motherhood Can Be Overwhelming!

I know I’m not alone when I say that being a mom has been the most wonderful and transformative role of my life — but also the hardest. Yes, it’s those sleepless nights and frequent tantrums, but it’s also the more nebulous feelings of self-doubt and unpreparedness that can be overwhelming.  So, where to turn?

My friends have been such a great resource, but we’re not always facing the same questions at the same time. And of course that advice isn’t particularly expert or confidential.  For me, the vibes on Mom Facebook groups have actually been pretty negative and stressfulI I even read a recent study that said time spent on these groups is associated with higher cortisol levels¹! And yes, I’ll pass on the mommy influencer accounts for the same reasons.

It Takes a Village: Thrive with Like-Minded Moms and Expert Support

“It takes a village” is a saying for a reason. Studies show² that parents in highly connected social groups raise children who feel less lonely and perform better on physical, social, emotional, and cognitive factors. And moms with access to support from parenting experts report more sleep, less anxiety, and higher confidence in parenting.

‍Enter Cooper. 

Cooper bills itself as “parenting groups reimagined,” a place where community and expertise come together. It serves moms and expecting moms with a) reliable information and support for solving daily challenges and b) a 24/7 community to lean on.

I joined Cooper and spoke to moms active in the community. Read on and find out if and how Cooper has helped these moms and their families.‍

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About Cooper

Cooper was founded by Ariel Boorstin and Gabby Slome, who are both parents themselves, as they experienced the unsolicited advice, judgement, and negativity that surrounds so many parenting groups and pages online. They built Cooper to cut through the noise and provide expert parenting guidance to moms looking for support.

So much of the advice online, they found, wasn't backed in research and could actually be harmful to children. Added to that was the pressure to be "perfect" all the time from mommy bloggers and social media influencers, and they quickly found that parenting can be incredibly lonely and isolating.

Cooper experts are knowledgeable, helpful, and supportive – and so are the other parents in the group. Using its in-depth onboarding process, Cooper has created a nurturing, joyful community for parents to experience the wonder that comes with parenting. Read on to find out more about the curated community and expert guidance, as told by Cooper moms themselves.

Expert Guidance

Cooper's highly curated groups - Coops - match you with other moms at a similar stage of motherhood. Each Coop is moderated by an expert – a PhD, Educator, or Licensed Clinical Social Worker – who is also a parent. With their expertise in child development, Coop Leaders are uniquely qualified to help the parents in each group, and the advice they provide is tailored to your child and your family.

Coops meet every month for a live, virtual session focused on a specific topic – e.g.  sleep, behavior, building executive function skills, and navigating friendships in adolescence. I found these sessions to be one of the most valuable (and believe it or not, fun) parts of my Cooper experience. Outside of the frequent live sessions and twice weekly office hours, advice from experts is available on-demand in the community chats. In a typical week, my Cooper experts jumped in to provide advice on sleep regression, caregiver interviews, potty training, and more. 

“When my child threw tantrums every day getting out the door, what I found online was so much more confusing than it was helpful. My Coop Leader helped me to understand why this was happening (that it was normal) and gave me such practical advice for how to manage in the moment. I felt so relieved to finally have a single source of truth.” - Amanda, 32, mother of 1

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Curated Community

Making friends as an adult is hard, and for parents can be even more difficult — balancing social activities with raising a family puts a strain on many moms. Studies show this can leave moms feeling isolated, lonely, and lacking options for real connection. Add a pandemic to the mix, and I know I’m still catching up.

Coop Groups are matched based on what matters to individual parents and their experiences. Some Coops include those focused on working moms, single parents, or parents of children with special needs.

But for me, what really elevates Cooper beyond “really good group chat” is the expert moderation. It’s basically the antidote to those scary Mommy Facebook groups. Cooper experts ensure that discussions and advice are positive, helpful, and accurate. Cooper moms know that they can trust the advice they’re getting, and avoid advice that’s inaccurate or downright harmful.‍

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How To Get Started

Cooper moms shared that they feel happier, more energetic, and more confident in their parenting – and that was exactly my experience after just a few weeks.

Think about the last few weeks. Maybe your child refused multiple meals, sleep training has led to no sleep, or you’re having problems with nursing. Now imagine that you had an expert who genuinely knows you, and a community to help guide you, often in real-time, with no more apps to download or social media toxicity to deal with.

Plus, it’s risk-free. If you don’t receive the support you’re looking for after your first group session, Cooper will give you your money back. It starts at $49 / mo., and for all the moms I talked to (and me) that’s a bargain. The best part? You can try your first month free using code "FREEMONTH." 

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References

¹ Biological Psychology

² Current Psychology