Cafemom: Social Networking for Mamas

re: Cafemom: Social Networking for Mamas

cafemom — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:06:54 GMT

Patti,

Thanks for the write up on CafeMom.

CafeMom is not a parenting site. We have tried to create a online community site for moms to speak in their own voices about issues that are important to them. While parenting is a often topic, so are dieting, humor, husbands / partners, popular culture and many more.

We are equally very excited about the diversity of the mom voices being expressed and look forward to watching where the conversations go.

Matt

CafeMom

re: Cafemom: Social Networking for Mamas

thezeroboss — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 07:19:58 GMT

beelerspace: I'm with ya on that. Enough of the gender stratification already.

re: Cafemom: Social Networking for Mamas

Patti — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 06:36:09 GMT

Good point, beelerspace. I think that many of these sites are just responding to focus groups, which tend to advise that men aren't as interested in online parenting communities. Several of the sites I mention are backed by corporate interests who have done some due diligence to find their target (money-making) audience.

Babble is "parentcentric" rather than mommycentric on purpose, because we're going for a subsection of that larger group that is, still, predominantly mothers, but that includes fathers as well. But for these other sites that are driven in part by a desire to reach a wide marketing segment, targeting mothers specifically makes financial sense. The mother is still the dominant parenting paradigm in our society at this point in time.

It will be interesting to see if and how online parenting communities help shift that paradigm over time.

re: Cafemom: Social Networking for Mamas

beelerspace — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 06:16:24 GMT

Stay-at-home-parenting websites that assume a gender in their titles is tired. It's like calling the official "State Driving Manual" "Driving for Men." Parenting is a unisex activity (sans the breastfeeding).

Aren't we (trying to move) beyond reinforcing gender stereotypes? Or have we just changed sides? Either way, I'm not sure we can call a community a diverse one if it excludes an entire gender with its title.

But, thanks for the tip anyway. It does look like an helpful site.

re: Cafemom: Social Networking for Mamas

teresahayes — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 02:33:43 GMT

I haven't checked out the others, but I saw Maya's Mom on ParentHacks and have been using it. I don't use groups there, but I got great advice about my kid who won't stop screaming when we drive!