Motherhood… the hardest job you’ll ever do. It’s the job with not nearly enough social standing and recognition and yet it’s the job that creates future citizens. If we don’t do our job properly and aren’t supported while we do it, what price will we, and society, pay?

It used to be the woman’s family – the clucky grandparents and helpful siblings, that were the primary support for new mothers but this is changing.  In Australia, the family unit has become more isolated and self-reliant so the availability of support is often less here than in many other countries.

Research shows that many older women have even less family support due to the increased number of us who, as we age, move away from family to pursue careers.

As a first time later-life mother I had no family support. Not one bit. But what I did have was a Mother’s Group.

Don’t underestimate the power of a close group of mums. They provide honesty, support, security, humour and enough tips and tricks to make your head spin. They provide someone to bitch to, a shoulder to cry on and wine (and whine) when required.

So here’s a thought… instead of the government spending millions on dealing with post natal depression, anxiety, and broken marriages – Why not instigate a Government-funded Mother’s Group Policy.

It could be that every new mum must be part of a mother’s group during the early years of their baby’s life. They could be paid for attending as part of the Family Tax Benefit and Parenting Payments.

In Africa they say, “it takes a village to raise a child” – to me, my village was my Mother’s Group.

 By Serena Kirby, Author of Better Late Than Never Baby – Becoming a Mother Later in Life.

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