Young Mums Rock!

A fun day for Melton young mothers and their children

The four-year-olds bounced around the jumping castle so fast they were almost a blur. The ball pit was packed with toddlers, while others got down to some old-fashioned disco in the 'Move and Groove' corner, and the helium balloons were going like hot cakes. In the midst of it all were tables crammed with mothers, aged late teens to early 30s, chatting, bouncing babies and sampling the various activities. The jewellery-making table was popular, as were the aromatherapy, make-up and massage.

The cavernous roof of Melton's Mumbo Jumbo play centre echoed with the sounds of a good time being had by all - music to the ears of the young mothers who had organised the 'Young Mums Rock' free fun day event on 25 November 2004. The idea came out of a series of discussions held in their support group about how to improve the health and wellbeing of isolated young mothers - part of an action research project on women's emotional wellbeing by Women's Health West in partnership with Djerriwarrh Community Health Services and other services.

Young mothers involved in organising the event with the new brochure.

The women were keen to hold an event to reach out to others - "to provide support, and let people know they're not alone," as one said. They also wanted to raise awareness about services, including support groups, in the Shires of Melton and Moorabool. "When you find a group like this, it's a relief to know you're not alone," said one. "That other people are going through the same thing as you."

One highlight of the day was the launch of the 'Young Mums Rock' brochure (PDF 290KB), also produced by the group. The brochure aims to give a 'realistic' picture of what it's like being a young mum, focussing on both the rewarding and more challenging aspects, using cartoons and quotes from young parents about the realities of their lives and listing contacts for support services.

One young woman said that the Young Mums Rock day was her first outing since the birth of her baby eight months earlier. An older woman talked about how isolated she'd been since moving out to Melton, asking when the next event was planned for. One of the organising mothers commented on what a fantastic experience the project had been for her personally. "Just so positive," she said, tying bunch of purple and pink helium balloons to the pram. "Now I'm going home for a rest!"

The next stages of the project will involve further discussion with women about their stories, including their experiences of accessing services. Women's Health West will use the research to advocate for improved services for this often isolated group of women, including, we hope, more events like the Mumbo Jumbo fun day.

FIND OUT MORE about the Young Mums Rock research project.
FIND OUT MORE about the 'Young Mums Rock' brochure (PDF 290KB).