Mamastè

Namastè!

This morning I want to talk to you about my baby.

Not kids or hubby Namastè--my baby. One of several things I do that helps me feel like Tayè. All moms--parents in general--need something that is simply, them. We need to preserve a piece of who we were before we became mom and dad.

For me, it's my support group, Mamastè.

I started this group a little over 5 years ago. I had only been in Georgia a little while, and my princess was getting ready to start school. I was a nervous wreck about how I would manage, because we didn't have the family support then that we have now. I needed a network. I needed some people who were growing through what I was growing through, who could offer their perspective and experience. I needed some type of camaraderie. Mommy'ing is some hard work, y'all. Gotta have a tribe!

Mamastè started out as The Unofficial Breakfast Club. We would wait for the buses with the kids, and we parents would chat it up. Those little chats became a regular thing. We evolved from a few parents chatting to friends helping each other out with rainy days (ferrying the kids to and from the gate, as buses in Georgia do not enter subdivisions and apartment complexes), sharing resources to help the kids meet and surpass classroom goals, and doing activities together to promote friendship in the kids, guaranteeing even the sibling-less kids (at the time, my princess!) a playmate.

We met every morning for 3 years! I cannot even put into words the amount of wisdom and insight I gained from the original Mamastè, but I carry it all with me now. Thanks to that first small group, I have a working knowledge of so many parenting styles and have garnered so much insight about different family dynamics. Family Namastè no longer lives in Lithia Springs, but the principle of that very first small group lives on in its new incarnation.

The biggest principle of Mamastè is INCLUSION. The original seven members all lived in the same neighborhood. To that end, we all had the same opportunities and amenities available, and were all roughly in the same financial bracket. However--we had RANGE. I was still a single mom at the time, working and taking classes. We had two stay-home moms. We had a widowed father. We had a married couple. We had a grandmother who was raising a multi-generational family. We all arrived at the same point, but had incredibly varying paths to get there. Each person brought a completely different outlook to the table, and we didn't necessarily agree on everything BUT the respect we shared allowed for pleasant discourse. That's the way we do things. We include everyone who wants in, and we respect even those things we don't necessarily endorse for our own families.

We are a group with a huge demographic spectrum. Everything is done in five languages--English, Tamil, Hindi, Arabic, and Spanish. My demos are often hilarious because, as you know, we speak English and Tamil in our home--Hindi, Arabic, and Spanish aren't our everyday thing but we make a coveted effort because Mamastè feels like friends having coffee. The principle of inclusion means I have to get in there elbows deep, so I go for it with my game face!

Mamastè doesn't meet at the bus stop nowadays--we are too strong in number. We can't hang out in my living room anymore either, because I simply do not have accomodation--nor coffee, tea, cake, or juice!--to suit 150 to 200 guests at one time. We have  group chats online (via Hangouts) and we have cluster meetings in our range. Because I am in any of three counties, we get together based on where I am in the world.

The HoliTAYÈ Showcase I've been talking about is a Mamastè production. I'll be demo'ing and discussing my favorite baby products and giving the parents real information about feeding, sleeping, and child development. I'll showcase everything I've used in Baby Namastè's first year, as well as share insight on things I should have gotten plus things I should have left in the store.

It's going to be my biggest event ever regarding Mamastè. This is like, my little baby taking its first steps! I have had the concept for expanding this group for so long, but I didn't want to compromise the "small group" feel. I wanted to preserve the "tea with besties" vibe if that makes any sense to you. While we embrace the value of an online presence, we know nothing beats actual phone calls and actual face to face communication. The Showcase is essentially our hugest club meeting to date, with excellent snacks and an epic giveaway or three.

In the coming days I may share sneak peaks of the setup for this showcase, as well as let you in on a giveaway or two. After all, you're part of my tribe as well!

Namastè!

-- Tayè K. ♡