A closer look
On a cool Tuesday night in October, a small group of women gathered at Friendswood resident Ann McKitrick’s home to discuss their dreams for the future over bowls of warm soup.
Over several hours, women of all ages carefully clipped images out of old magazines before collaging them to vision boards, which are artistic representations of one’s goals that serve as inspiration and motivation.
Hosted by McKitrick since September, MOMentum is a supper club designed to connect moms through thoughtful conversation as well as foster inspiration to develop and realize their dreams for their careers and personal lives.
In their own words
Alexandra Robertson, who is the mother of a 6-month-old baby, was introduced by her own mom to McKitrick and MOMentum during a time when she was adjusting to her new life as a mother.
“Whenever she mentioned the community aspect of it and moms coming together to create something and having that support group, it made me want to join,” said Robertson, whose vision board emphasized spending her free time with her husband.
McKitrick said she was inspired to found MOMentum through her work coaching new parents, where she consistently met women who felt isolated and disconnected since becoming mothers.
“I think a lot of times people feel that when they have a kid, they really lose some of their personality,” McKitrick said.
McKitrick added that while there is a paradigm shift that inevitably happens as new moms take on the responsibilities of motherhood, “You’re still you,” she said.
A quick note
McKitrick said she modeled MOMentum’s curriculum around “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield, who also authored the famous “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series. McKitrick is close to completing her certification to become a trainer of Canfield’s principles.
Because of the intimacy of hosting MOMentum in her living room, McKitrick initially piloted the first few meetings with women she knew, but soon, interest from other moms in the community poured in.
Next steps
The next MOMentum supper and lunch clubs are scheduled for Nov. 14 and 15, and Dec. 12 and 13. Interested parties can join a waitlist through McKitrick’s email, [email protected].
