As any community college, Northern Essex has its fair share of students with diverse needs and various non-school commitments. Now, thanks to a new student interest group, busy moms and caregivers will have a place to unwind on campus every Thursday, (when the campus was open from 12:30-1:30 p.m. on the Lawrence campus in room L144.).

Now that the campus is closed the group has moved to using Zoom meetings to connect.

At the head of this group is Susan Redditt who’s an intern from the Salem State Masters in Social Work Program working with Janel D’Agata Lynch, the coordinator of civic engagement, service learning and community resources.

Redditt said she got the idea for the group from Stephanie Haskell, student life coordinator. Redditt is a non-traditional student and like the other members of the group, she has two children, ages 21 and 26.

By her side is Marlenne Astacio, from Lawrence, a public health major. Astacio is a mother of a two year old. Along with raising her child and being a student, Astacio is working an internship with the civic engagement, service learning, and community resources department.

Susan Benoit, from Lawrence, a sleep technologist major, is another co-facilitator of the group and also a mom to a 3 year old.

In the first three weeks of the group’s meetings the goal was to create a space where students that are also moms or caregivers can go to relax, vent, and share parenting stories. According to the members, the group serves as a place where they can share pertinent information that helps them understand their children better. During one meeting the group discussed routines and rituals and how they can help create a balanced sleep schedule for them and their young ones.

The moms discussed the difficulties of trying to be a “perfect” parent and how that’s especially difficult when you’re a new mom without prior experience. One mom said, “You don’t have training, you just [parent] and hope for the best!”

Members are also encouraged to give presentations, like one mom’s presentation on Feb. 27 on bruxism, or teeth grinding, in children. She took the opportunity to educate the fellow moms about the prevalence of this issue and also to vent about how she loses sleep due to it.

The group also offers “real food” supplied by Redditt. There are options available besides just chips and snacks, a luxury for busy moms that also attend college, as they don’t always get the opportunity to feed themselves, according to the group.

In the future, the group wants to continue to be a safe space where moms and caregivers can meet with fellow students that face the same challenges as them. They want to eventually have the group meet two times a week and, if they can, they’d like to be able to provide child care during the meeting times. The group also makes time for self care for the moms, during one meeting they applied face masks for a “spa day.”

In the face of COVID-19 the members have moved to an online platform of support using Zoom meetings to connect and talk about the fears of parenting during a pandemic. Members say they appreciate having the extra time to spend with their children at home but they’re also afraid to bring their children outside.

Another member got support from the group in the new challenge of supplying their child’s therapy with only virtual help from their therapist.

For more information, contact Susan Redditt at sredditt@necc.mass.edu.