Hartland Moms Gathering on Newly Formed Facebook Page

As a mom, communication with the outside world is always a small treat during days when sometimes the most interesting conversations I have include debating the survival chances of a lizard versus a snake. That is why Facebook was such a blessing to me years ago when the ability to communicate via comment sections and “Like” buttons while scrolling through someone else’s vacation pictures help alleviate the occasional isolation factor of parenting.

These days, Facebook continues to evolve and grow and — I’m not ashamed to admit — also feeds my silent addiction of Sorority Life. I am fierce in that game!

Facebook has also, however, helped create a smaller world for me as more people continue to come up with practical ideas on how to make Facebook applicable in our everyday, real lives.

Local mom, Amy Roach is one of those people who took a simple idea and turned it into something of a Hartland sensation over the past week. Hartland moms are now flocking to her newly created page of the same name that is a smorgasbord of questions, school tips and local announcements that every mom wants to know, but in typical fashion, may be afraid to ask. 

“We just really wanted a place where we could ask our silliest questions,” said Roach, who also maintains "Mommie or Bust," a blog about adoption.

“Like right now I just saw a question on there, my kids go to do they take lunch boxes or brown bags now? Its just stuff like that.”

With already more than 250 members and growing, the mom population of Hartland has a new open forum where they are able to post dozens of other helpful questions like this one from one local mom:

I have a kindergartener who wants to play basketball more than anything. Hartland Community Ed and SELCRA do not offer anything for his age. Any suggestions?

Or important announcements like this:

If any of you have a 5th or 6th grade girl at Farms this year, we have a girl’s on track team this fall! Sign up on-line. Feel free to contact me with any questions!

Roach, however, had another motive other than a simple question and answer board when she came up with the idea of the Hartland Moms page. With her oldest child going to Farms this year, Roach realized that new problems and issues would come up and the need for new connections to help her navigate the unfamiliar new waters would be necessary.

"I realized how much I counted on the moms I was friends with, but most of them were moms," Roach said. "I started realizing that we’re kind of starting over. He doesn’t know anything, I don’t know anything. Wouldn’t it be nice if I knew some people?"

The moms on the page understand this ulterior motive and the need for it as well. Most are excited by the possibilty that connections will be made, new friendships will spark and support will be found- just by being thrown together in the online world.

"I was so excited to find this group today," Angelina Krentz, a local mom and member of the Facebook group wrote. "I can see it becoming one more addition to my children's "village." It's great to have a conversation with our peers, to bounce off ideas, to share resources, that we might not be able to do otherwise. Sadly who has time to chat, or for that matter, get acquainted, when we're waiting for the kids, or dropping them off here and there. Hopefully these virtual friendships can take off i.r.l. too."

For Roach, the instant success of her new page makes her happy and while she admits that the idea seems so simple, she says that judging by the constant stream of posts filling the page on a daily basis, there was obviously a need to help bring more local moms together.

"The more excited they are, the more they are going to put things on there that we all want to know," Roach said. "We all want to know when underwear is on sale at Target, stuff like that."

Already, Hartland Moms has become a regular spot for me as I navigate my Facebook page. So after checking my news feed, wall posts and of course my Sorority Life, I can now click over and scroll through the day's events in Hartland via the mom voice.

“I am a child care provider in my home,” Amy Diegal from wrote. “I do not get out of the house often (except for grocery shopping and running my three girls to dance, swim, 4-H, etc.) The Hartland Moms site keeps me posted on current happenings in the area. What I enjoy most is being in touch with other Moms!”

Since the Facebook page is a closed group, anyone interested in joining can be added by other members of the group, or by sending a request to join located at the top of the groups page. All local moms will be included and welcomed.

Reminder: The Patch Moms Group will be meeting 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, at . Please join us and share ideas, possible news stories and coffee.