Mom Comm 2023

Help for Moms Navigating Modern Motherhood

Any mother can relate to the moment of leaving the hospital and bringing home that firstborn child. It’s euphoric and a relief. I’m out of the hospital! I’m carrying my precious, beautiful baby! I’m no longer pregnant! And I’m going home!

And then, once you’re home and reality hits, it’s a terrifying moment. Because there you stand, in your kitchen, with your baby—who is likely covered in spit-up and crying already. You and your husband are now responsible for not only simply keeping this tiny human alive, but raising him or her to be a fully functional, Christ-honoring human being.

And the hospital didn’t have the courtesy to send home a nurse, or even an instruction manual.

Able Moms

Here enters Amanda Florczykowski, Able Moms, and Mom Comm 2023. Amanda Florczykowski, the founder of Able Moms and Vigilant Families, came to her position in one of the most terrifying ways possible. Florczykowski was at the grocery store with her young daughter, when a stranger came up and ripped the toddler right out of her arms while telling the girl to “say bye-bye to Mommy.” The perpetrator did not succeed, thank the Lord. Amanda got her girl back and posted a social media warning that went viral, being shared over 60,000 times. As a result, she connected with someone else who had been a victim of that same perpetrator.

Amanda’s life was rocked. How could this have happened to her, a vigilant, careful parent? And why had this happened? She was inspired to create Able Moms International to equip Christian women with resources for parenting, and to connect them with each other to share wisdom and support. As the Able Moms website puts it, “We needed genuine mom-community; relationships that brought hope, truth, and help as we as moms are all tasked with the gargantuan responsibility of raising the next generation for Christ.”

Mom Comm 2023 is a day-long conference for moms, to be held on Saturday, March 4, at Calvary Church in Naperville, Illinois. Speakers include Amanda herself, and also Abbie Halberstadt, Stephanie Peltier, and Abby Johnson, among others. The theme is “Truth, Awaken,” and the stated goal of the conference is “So, we never mother alone.” Topics include infant/child loss, how to respond to abortion and those who have suffered from it, the child trafficking epidemic, overcoming imposter syndrome, closing the gate and protecting our children, healthy social media habits, how to be a praying mom, balancing work and motherhood, and fighting against culture with grace (for the video trailer and a full list of breakout sessions, click here.)

A Much-Needed Mission

What Mom Comm seeks to address is the reality that motherhood is difficult, yes, but often lonely in this day and age. In many ways, women are less equipped than ever before to do it well. In a pre-industrial society, there was a lot more preparation for something that most women consider to be the most important and significant job of their lives. To begin, there were simply a lot more kids. The American fertility rate in 1800 was around 7 children per woman; in 1900, it had dropped to 4. Both numbers may sound like a shocking amount, considering today’s abysmal fertility rate of about 1.7.

A woman was far more likely to have had some experience with childcare before becoming a mother because she was far more likely to have had younger siblings. Families tended to live within a close geographical range, so all of these kids spent more time together running around. A child-friendly culture was a reality, because the kids themselves were a reality—an economic boon and necessity, instead of being seen as a commodity and a burden. And when it came time for a woman to bear her own children, she could rely on a network of sisters, aunts, cousins, and others to help her out and share their own wisdom.

Instead of this, mothers—and especially mothers of young children—often find themselves increasingly isolated. They might live in a community that is geographically hundreds or thousands of miles away from where they grew up. And the realities of young childhood—naps, unpredictable schedules, a few tantrums—often make it is difficult to get out of the house. One report finds that 51 percent of mothers with young children report feeling “serious loneliness.” Another survey, reports The Guardian, “found that 90% of new mothers felt lonely since giving birth, with over half (54%) feeling they had no friends.” These women find themselves learning to parent by themselves, alone, with no one to lend a hand by changing a diaper, bringing over some dinner, or simply offering advice. Couple these new realities with trends like technology use, a pornography epidemic, social media addiction, and skyrocketing childhood and teen anxiety and depression, and no wonder moms feel increasingly “un”-able.

Which is why a group like Able Moms, and a conference like Mom Comm, is so refreshing. At its heart, this group is trying to give moms a tribe, a group of friends and experts, a place women can feel is safe for providing information on how to parent wisely. So, if you’re a mother, check them out! And if you live in the Midwest and particularly the greater Chicago area, consider registering for Mom Comm. We need more efforts like this, aimed at connecting mothers to help raise their kids to know the Lord.