Last week we met Sally Oddy, founder of Meet Other Mums ( meetothermums.com ) It’s a wonderful site all about connecting mums and giving them a much needed space to share their experiences. We loved the idea so wanted to find out more about the service, Sally’s experiences running it, and of course, her views on pocket money…
Describe what Meet Other Mums is in its simplest terms?
Meet Other Mums is a national friendship matching site for mums of all ages at all stages. A free profile matches mums with other mums in their local area so they can find their Mum Tribe in a safe, friendly and non-judgmental environment. There are daily blog posts, chat rooms, social events and we are just about to launch a much-requested Business and Events Directory, so that our 35k audience of parents can easily find services and events in their local area.
Why did you set it up & what was the inspiration behind it?
Becoming a mum is a life event that can lead to loneliness, and, during my own journey in trying for a baby, I felt there was little support for mums trying to conceive or struggling with infertility, and also limited ways to actually find new mum friends once you become a mum. I decided to put together a little support network site for mums and it has grown into the national site it is today, with nearly 400,000 friendship matches already made.
What makes it special or unique?
Mums share lots of personal information in their profiles so when you are looking at your matches you can really assess whether the person fits your friendship mould. This is important as creating real and meaningful relationships isn’t a swipe left or right thing, it goes much deeper than that. At MeetOtherMums we help facilitate proper friendships, helping mums really find their Mum Tribe and put the fun and friendship back into parenting. With the new Business and Events Directory, the blogs, chat forums, social events, and with lots of other exciting developments in the pipeline, we aim to make MeetOtherMums a comprehensive support system for all mums, the only place they need to go for fun, friendship, advice, support, services, events and more.
What do your customers love about your product? Any quotes we can use?
We often get told that MeetOtherMums is a lifeline for new mums in particular and mums feel that what we are doing and offering has tremendous value to them. MeetOtherMums members love the fact the site is so easy to use, that you can really ‘get to know’ someone before making the first move, and that chatting, making friends and getting support and advice has been made really easy for them.
What do you find mums asking about most when it comes to pocket money? And what’s your advice for them?
They mainly ask – Should we give pocket money – if so how much – should our kids earn the money. I believe that learning how to manage finances at the earliest possible age is vital in avoiding financial mistakes and problems later in life and pocket money is a key learning tool for children. I also do believe that children should earn their pocket money, maybe not necessarily in a direct ‘do x chore for x pence’ but more that we all live in this house, we should all contribute to the running of it, and if you do your bit you’ll get your pocket money. That teaches children about teamwork, respect, responsibility and money management.
Did you get pocket money as a kid? And if so, what's your earliest pocket money memory?
We did get pocket money and I do remember the chore chart on the fridge with things like Washing Up 50c; Making your Bed 20c and so on. As time went on and we grew up the chore chart went away but it was always understood that we had to play our part in helping keeping the house tidy if we hoped to get the spends at the weekend!
What's the best piece of money advice you received as a kid, and who gave it to you?
My mum was big on saving – I never was, unfortunately a trait that has followed me throughout my life! She always said save for what you want, never get into debt. It’s basic but good solid advice that I’ve always adhered to.
MeetOtherMums is the national friendship matching site for mums of all ages at all stages. It’s free to join and you get matched with mums local to you immediately so what are you waiting for? Head over to Meet Other Mums and find your own Mum Tribe. www.meetothermums.com