Mum Stories - Emma Townley
/As part of Isabella and Us. I will be bringing you a brand new blog series where each week a mum shares her story. I believe it is vitally important that we share our honest, vulnerable and incredible stories of our motherhood journey.
** Please be aware that you may find some of the stories potentially be upsetting or they may trigger something for you. If you do need further support please do seek advice from your GP or a mental health professional.
This week Emma Townley shares why she created The Non Perfect Parents Club to fight the judgement that parents face and offer the support she never had.
A little bit about Emma:
“ I'm Emma, a Mama (this is super important- I'm a Mama not Mummy!) to 2 girls ages 8 and 3. I'm married to Andrew and we live 5 minutes from the beach in the seaside town of Morecambe. We have 2 dogs who are partners in crime with the kids, particularly the younger pair who are nicknamed The Krays. My 'day' job is a social media manager in my family's business but I am also the creator of The Non Perfect Parents Club, an online support network where any parent is welcome and the only rule is no judgement. I've also recently become a Homestart volunteer.”
Emma’s Story:
When I had my eldest daughter, I was one of the first of my then friends to have a baby. Being in charge of a baby/toddler room at a private day nursery meant I'd had a basic insight to the practical side of parenting; making bottles, changing nappies etc and had a good knowledge of development but as we all know parenting is so much more than that. I didn't have very much support, especially emotionally and found that everyone told you the good bits about parenting but when it came to acknowledging the hard parts, it's like you weren't allowed to. Online, everything was a minefield and so judgemental- everything you looked at had parents arguing and adamant their way was right.
Within this time due to a particular situation, I developed anxiety and it gradually started to affect my daily life. I battled through, initially not even realising it was anxiety- not realising I had a mental health issue.
Gradually friends started having babies and through conversations I found I could often offer advice or answer their questions, offering different techniques to try. This is when I decided to start a group on Facebook for parents, aiming to support and empower them. But unlike, seemingly, the rest of the internet I was determined my group was going to be all inclusive- all parents welcome and there was one rule: NO JUDGEMENT ALLOWED. The other thing I was determined to do was keep it real; be honest and acknowledge the lows aswell as the highs. This is where The Non Perfect Parents Club was born.
After a while I changed my Facebook page, which I using as a parenting blog documenting mine and my daughter's adventures, to The Non Perfect Parents Club and began to write about my parenting experiences and thoughts with the same ethos. I incorporated in what I call the 'mum feels' and talked about all those feelings you get as a parent which most of us are scared to admit because we think we're alone. I also started openly talking about my mental health.
My Facebook group and page have grown and grown and I continue to support parents without judgement and encourage others to do the same. I continue to be honest, real and open about parenting and dissect those 'mum feels' to help other parents know I hear them and I see them. I constantly try to raise awareness of mental health and try to bring people together. I want everyone to feel welcome, to feel seen and to feel able to speak their truth. I want to be the person I needed 8/9 years ago.
The Non Perfect Parents Club catches parents before they fall, and if they've already fallen we lift them back up. We're a team, we support each other and have each others backs.
** If this story has been upsetting or has triggered something for you and you do need further support please do seek advice from your GP or a mental health professional.**
You can see more of Emma over at:
