Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Andrade.
Alex, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Teach It Mamas was an idea that came to me about two years ago. I wanted to create a safe space for women to connect on different aspects of motherhood. I realized that there were a lot of motherhood groups out there but not many in my area, the San Gabriel Valley. I thought, “why not start the group I wish was out here?” I envisioned a community for mothers and women, where they could have access to support groups, play dates, mommy dates, workshops and more! But self-doubt and my insecurities always stopped me. In addition to that, being a new twin mom had me running on minimal sleep and little energy. How could I add more to my plate? Although, I still had this need to connect with other women who understood my struggles and women who I could relate to.
On March 31, I went on the El Camino de Luz Sunrise hike with @luzwarrior and the @lettherebeluz team. At this hike, I set an intention to let go of the fears and blockages that were not serving me so that I could move forward with this idea, this community that kept calling me. As I watched the sunrise, I sat there journaling, visualizing and manifesting. I felt peace, and I saw things clearly. I was able to leave those fears and insecurities behind and finally move forward. A month later, Teach It Mamas was officially born.
Teach It Mamas is a community of women that encourage and empower one another. Through a variety of events such as support groups, workshops, and social gatherings women come together and connect. They teach, learn and grow together. I am filled with gratitude for this beautiful sisterhood that is Teach It Mamas.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think what I struggle most with is balance. When I’m working on Teach It Mamas, mom guilt sometimes kicks in, and I feel guilty for not spending that time with my family. Then other times I feel overwhelmed with feeling behind on work, emails, or messages I have not yet replied to. Also, I get these creative moments when ideas just start flowing, and I have to write these things down and brainstorm, and sometimes it’s not at the most convenient times.
This is all very new to me, and I’m learning as I go and I am confident that soon I will find a good system to balance work and family life. Even though it can be stressful at times, I am loving this new venture with Teach It Mamas. In the short time Teach It Mamas has been active, I have met some incredible women that have now become good friends of mine! I have also been able to collaborate with some of these amazing women who I look up to and admire.
My advice to women following a passion project calling or pursuing a dream is to just do it! Everything doesn’t have to be perfect and all ready at once. Make a plan and set goals that you can work towards. I’m currently working on getting my website up. Had I waited for every single detail to be ready, I would have missed out on so many magical moments that have happened with Teach It Mamas so far. So, my best advice is to just go for it! Don’t overthink it. And never think your beginning is too small to start. Follow your intuition, be genuine and authentic in what you create and the rest will fall into place. When we step out of our comfort zone, amazing growth happens, and doors open up that you might have never expected.
We’d love to hear more about Teach It Mamas.
Teach It Mamas is an organization that brings women together to connect, support and learn from each other. We host a variety of events such as workshops, group classes, social gatherings, play dates, and support groups. I am a huge advocate for support groups, and one of my goals with Teach It Mamas is to make support groups more accessible to the women in my community. As a special needs mother, support group changed my life. I got the support from other parents that understood my struggles and my journey with my son who has hearing loss. After I learned how powerful and transformative support groups could be, I knew I wanted to help other women find that support.
In the past six months, Teach It Mamas has taken a group of mothers to get CPR/First Aid Certified. We have hosted several play dates to have littles make new friends while parents get to connect with one another. We held our first annual Mamas in Pajamas brunch, where 30 women came together to practice self-care and have a morning to themselves. We were also the very first winners of the Move-In Monday Giveaway hosted by Makers Mess Studio in Silver Lake. In this giveaway, we won the use of their studio for an entire day to do what we wanted. We held a Body Love workshop in which we learned how to change the narrative we have with our bodies and learn how to be more loving and appreciative towards our body. This workshop was followed by a body positivity photoshoot. I was able to collaborate with incredible women such as @themaryposa, @crystal_domi, and @l.a.momma. It was a magical night of women empowering women.
But what I am most proud of with Teach It Mamas, is the support groups. Since August, we have been able to host three support groups, and we look forward to hosting more in 2019. The topics of our support groups have been miscarriage & infertility and early intervention and special education advocacy. The ability to have women and parents connect and support each other in their journeys is an incredible feeling. I know what it means to feel isolation and hopelessness. But when you meet someone that has been through similar experiences and tells you that it’s going to be ok, is truly amazing and transformative.
I’m so excited to be covering more new topics in support group in the new year such as being a single parent, co-parenting, transitioning back to work and many more. My hope is to continue creating these safe spaces for women and parents to create connections and support systems for each other.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @teachitmamas
- Facebook: Teach It Mamas
Image Credit:
@nicole.deanda
@l.a.momma
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