It’s difficult to find a parenting-related question that hasn’t already been pondered by other bewildered adults out there. What do you do when you’ve got little or no network of friends or family in Florence to ask “where and what’s a grembiule?”, “what’s the deal with ordering schoolbooks?” or “any good piano teachers in Le Cure?” Founded by Kimberly Vanzi in 2004 to assist expat English-speaking mothers in Florence and Tuscany, the Firenze Moms4Moms Network is an incredible resource for those seeking to create community in order to share the ups and downs of parenthood in a foreign city.
The network started as a close-knit group of expat mothers who met weekly, with the rapidly increasing numbers necessitating an efficient communication system, leading to the creation of the website. It quickly became an extraordinary international community with a calendar of group events, meetups and more, with sister sites appearing in other cities. While there are currently less activities organized than before, the volunteer-based group still proves a great help for parents. No membership fees are requested, with the driving force of the founder being the desire to assist moms in finding their place in a foreign culture. The FMs4Ms Network Discussion Group on Facebook currently stands at 989 members and recently marked the milestone of 15 years, with its offshoots the FMs4Ms4 For Sale or Free group seeing 472 members and the FMs4Ms and Their Businesses group at 252. There’s also a subgroup for Firenze Dads, with both expats and locals welcome.
There’s a sigh of relief to find other parents facing the same challenges and a wave of gratitude when you pick up a passeggino (pram) from a mother who no longer needs the quite frankly overwhelming amount of baby-related paraphernalia occupying her apartment. When choosing schools, a quick search will bring up many discussions on the pros and cons written by those with experience, while a tell-it-like-it-is approach helps immeasurably when making these important decisions.
From navigating bilingualism to doctor recommendations and honest accounts of the various hospitals, find the tips and tricks you’re desperately seeking and help out those where you can, with the give-and-take approach fostering a sense of togetherness.
