Mamapedia: A Drama-Free Online Resource for Moms!
 Mamapedia.com/Credit: Mike/Splash News Online |
Play dates aren’t just beneficial for kids — they’re also an opportunity for stay-at-home moms to interact and exchange ideas and tips about child-rearing, marriage and everything in between. For working moms, these crucial mom-to-mom heart-to-hearts are often hard to come by. With that void in mind, Mamapedia launched earlier this year.
Boasting more than 2 million users – including Minnie Driver, mom to 14-month-old Henry Story — the site has clearly struck a chord. Celebrity Baby Blog recently interviewed founder Artie Wu who said inclusiveness has been the biggest key to Mamapedia’s success.
“If you set up a community where moms don’t feel like they’re going to be judged, they ask their questions,” he explains. “That’s the biggest priority for us.”
Click below to learn about how Mamapedia works, and who it’s helping.
The set up is straightforward: Moms ask a question about a specific problem or area of concern and other moms answer.
On the front page, there are easy-to-find topics — ranked by popularity — like “How Much Do You Tip Your Nanny/Daycare for the Holidays?” and “Tips for Raising Boys.” Overall, content is culled from Mamasource, which Artie also founded after becoming a dad in 2004.
Sign up for the site’s daily emails for detailed information on your local area from the best pediatricians to the best places to spend a rainy day. “We’ve tried to make Mamapedia a place where it’s all about the help,” Artie notes, “and if you have an experience that’s relevant, share it.”
The site also helps moms craft their questions for more informed, less judgmental answers. For example, a working mom who’s considering weaning because she has no lactation room at work should ask how to wean instead of when to wean.
“What you don’t want is a bunch of other moms piling on, saying ‘Why don’t you breastfeed?’” Artie says. “While that’s absolutely a valid position, the moms we want to help are those moms who have made up their minds on one topic or another, and they just need the information. They just need the data.”
Calling moms “the pillars of our families,” Artie — himself a dad-of-two — says the goal of Mamapedia is to “help moms unlock the power of their collective wisdom.”
“Working moms are often missing all that information that’s being shared on the playground and in playgroups,” says Artie. “Mamapedia helps you find support even if you don’t have time to invest in those types of communication channels.”
– Missy
