What a great first year we’ve had! We are so happy to be a part of our community here in Campbell, but we’re also proud to be a part of the bigger community of Mothers and parents.
Campbell Patch Editor Mayra Flores De Marcotte asked us to answer a fun Q&A so that those that haven't been following from the beginning can catch up on who we are and what our motivation behind this regularly appearing column is.
Below are our answers but we want to hear from you too. Why do you read the 'Mom Squad's' articles and blog entries every week? Why is it important to you to have the 'Mom Squad' around? What do you want to read about? What should our next topic be?
Bethany:
My name is: Bethany Curran
I live in: Campbell, CA
I have these many kids: 2
I started the Mom Squad because: It seemed like a great way to connect with other Moms and talk about issues that are important to us. It’s also pretty great to have that support network of other Moms.
The biggest 'small luxury' a mom can have: Time alone! Any time alone be it a night out with friends, a trip to the store alone, or even just a nice long shower with nobody banging on the door can make a Mom feel like a new woman!
When I started the Mom Squad, my expectations were: I’m not sure what I expected, but I hoped that I could help other Moms feel connected and a part of a kind of Mom community where we could all ask each other questions, offer up advice, and just support each other.
I was surprised when: Our first article published and people not only read it, but were commenting and sharing it. That was so cool!
The biggest challenge was: Learning how to get my thoughts on Motherhood into a readable weekly column format. It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be, but now that I’ve been at it for a while it’s kind of become second nature. Nicole and I both write how we talk, so it’s not only easier to write, we feel like it’s more relatable for our readers.
The most rewarding moment came when: We started hearing from readers about how what we had to say meant something to them, and how they looked forward to hearing more from us.
What changed in the last year: Well, we’ve had a few changes to the Mom Squad. We added Nicole (which has been awesome!) and Rachael decided to step down to pursue other things. We’ve gained LOTS of great, loyal readers and gotten to know our community better. And we have kind of found our “groove” as far as writing goes. It’s really been a great year!
Nicole:
My name is: Nicole Salacain
I live in: Campbell, CA
I have these many kids: 2
I got involved with Mom Squad because: Because I think connecting with the community and getting our message out there is really important! We're all in this together!
The biggest small luxury a mom can have: Time to reflect and nurture yourself. It's not easy being a Mom, and taking time for yourself is the MOST important thing you can do for yourself!
When I joined the Mom Squad, my expectations were: To spread the word that we're not alone in this! When I first became a Mom, I felt like I was the only person to feel the way I was feeling. But I'm not, and I hoped (and still hope!) that we're helping those Mom's who feel like they are alone!
I was surprised when: We got 100 fans (on our Facebook page)! I know we have a lot of good things to say and that we're very supportive and non-judgmental, but to think that we're reaching that many people is great!
The biggest challenge was: Figuring out what exactly we think people want to hear or what people are dealing with. Luckily, we're going through a lot of it ourselves, it can still be a challenge to make sure we're giving the right information.
The most rewarding moment came when: It's not just one moment, but it's moments when people we don't know either like us on Facebook or share our articles. It means we're really getting through to people!
What changed in the last year: I think we're getting a really good grasp on what people want to hear and I LOVE how much we've connected to the community. Bethany is the biggest reason that we're so connected but I think it's important to get out there and post things that show how much we love Campbell!
We hope you enjoy our little column and (as always) please feel free to leave us comments, ask us questions, and make suggestions. We love hearing from all of you!
You can also check out the Campbell Patch Mom Squad on Facebook! We share our articles, community events, thoughts on parenting, parent-related current events, and more. We also welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions anytime!
What would you like to see in future Mom Squad articles? Do you have a topic you want us to cover or a question you want answered? Need some advice or have some advice of your own to share? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
