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Blog of the Week: O-MAMA

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October 16, 2011

Congratulations to O-MAMA: the SocialMoms Blog of the Week!

Politics has always been sort of ambiguous to me.  I think I identify more with one party, but then their issues aren’t in alignment with my views.  It’s hard to know what to think, who to support, and how to vote. Thank goodness for O-MAMA.

O-MAMA’s mission is to engage America’s moms in our country’s most important conversations by using parenting analogies, instead of politics as usual, to discuss the news & events of the day. I had the chance to talk with O-MAMA about how they got started and what they’ve learned along the way.

SM: What was your inspiration for starting O-MAMA?

Michelle Tingler is a Democrat and married mom of 3 KID-Os and Debbie Devine is a Republican and divorced mom of 2 KID-Os.  During the 2008 elections, we started asking each other questions about the issues of the day over email and found ourselves finding common ground by using parenting lessons, instead of political agendas. We are friends, we trust each other and we respect each other’s opinions.  We thought – Hey!  If our kids our the future, then America’s moms are literally shaping that future one child at a time.  So, what if we could connect all of America’s moms and tap into their collective wisdom and common sense?  We started O-MAMA.com so MOMS can be a constructive voice in our country’s most important conversations.  Opinionated MAMA was born.

SM: What has most surprised you about running the site?

How old we are?!  What a bummer it is that our 12 year olds intuitively know more about technology and social media than we do!  We thought we could figure anything out easily because we had big careers before trading that in for the most important job we’ve ever had – MOMs.  But, there was a learning curve.  The web world was like learning a new language and it was hard to find our voice when we didn’t know the vocab, let alone how to tweet?!

SM: What are you most passionate about?

We are most passionate about the political and social issues that impact our kids…and our country.  We believe that moms are the ones that have the power to affect change.  Our kids are our future.  They are the next bankers and baseball players, teachers and technicians, police officers and policy makers, artists and astronauts, scientists and social workers…our kids are going to define the future of our nation and moms have the incredible job of shaping the kind of people, and citizens, they will grow up to be.

If we keep in mind the simple lessons we’ve all been taught by our mothers, and the parenting lessons we are teaching our own kids, then maybe the complex social and political issues that our country is facing will become a little less complicated.  Maybe, if we start believing the things we already know to be true – like “choose your battles wisely,” “don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” “practice what you preach,” “leave it better than you found it,” etc. – then, maybe our politicians will finally start tackling some of the issues we can no longer avoid and reinforce the life lessons they can no longer ignore?

If America’s moms come together to get to the heart of the issues that matter most, we can raise a generation of happy, healthy, productive citizens.  Sure, we need to know how and why we see things differently, but that’s not where the conversation should begin and end. We believe the solutions are rooted in our country’s collective values…in the lessons we already teach our kids every day.  The conversations need to start at the kitchen table with the people we love  and trust and come full circle…while using “indoor voices” and “nice manners,” of course!

SM: What is the most popular section of your site?

The fan favorite might be the comics that celebrate the many jobs of America’s moms, but we get the most hits on our articles and polls – moms want to share their opinions!

 

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