About Mums At The Table

The village it takes to raise a mum

We know how tough mum life can be: You often feel isolated dealing with something you have no experience for. It makes you feel helpless and inadequate.

Mums At The Table exists for the real-life version of parenting. The sticky-fingered, sleep-deprived, sometimes-lonely, sometimes-lovely kind.

We’re here for two simple reasons.

1. Practical support for everyday parenting

Parenting advice can feel like a 47-tab browser window. Overwhelming. Contradictory. Loud.

We create practical guidance and resources that are simple, thoughtful and easy to engage with. Bite-sized articles. Podcasts you can listen to on the school run. Printables for you to interact with. Gentle prompts that help you connect with your child, your partner or even yourself.

No 12-step systems. No perfection pressure. Just grounded, compassionate support for real families. We know you’re time-poor. So we respect your time.

2. Real-life community

Parenting was never meant to be a solo sport.

You’ve heard it takes a village to raise a child, but we believe it also takes a village to raise a mum. Across Australia and New Zealand, Mums At The Table groups gather in parks, cafés, community halls and living rooms. Some meet for playgroups. Some for dessert nights. Some for deep chats about the things no-one posts on social media.

So join our community of mums, where you’ll have opportunities to connect with local women going through the same motherhood journey, and get the support you deserve.

Find acceptance, feel confident and watch yourself become the mum you’ve always wanted to be. It’s not about having it all together. It’s about showing up as you are.

Because sometimes the most powerful sentence a mum can hear is: “Me too.”

An initiative of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, we’re proudly not-for-profit, relying on generous donors who believe in supporting mums.

There ain’t no hood like motherhood. We’re here with you.

What other mums think

FAQs

Do I have to be a certain kind of mum to join?

Nope. It doesn’t matter if you’re a soon-to-be mum, first-time mum, adoptive mum, stepmum, grandmum or any type of mum, you are welcome. There’s no checklist at the door.

What happens at a Mums At The Table group?

Each group looks a little different. Some focus on playtime for the kids while mums chat. Others meet in the evenings for dessert and conversation. Some explore parenting topics together. All of them prioritise warmth, honesty and community.

Is this only for mums with babies?

Not at all. We have mums with toddlers, primary-aged kids, teens and everything in between. Parenting doesn’t get easier with age, it just changes shape.

What kind of parenting advice do you give?

We focus on everyday challenges like emotional regulation, communication, resilience, friendships, technology and family dynamics. Our resources are designed to be practical, realistic and doable in the middle of busy life.

I’m already overwhelmed. Is this going to add more to my plate?

It shouldn’t. Our aim is to lighten the load, not stack it higher. Think encouragement, not expectations.

How do I find a group near me?

We have groups across Australia and New Zealand. You can find one near you here or simply start by engaging with our online resources.

What if I’m nervous about walking into a group?

That’s completely normal. Most mums are. You won’t be the only one scanning the room and wondering where to sit. The good news is, everyone there remembers what that first visit felt like.

Who we are

Melody Tan

Melody is a passionate advocate for empowering mothers through connection, faith and digital engagement. As the project leader for Mums At The Table, a vibrant community for mothers, Melody leads efforts to create meaningful content that helps mums navigate parenting while fostering deeper relationships with their children and local communities. With a background in media and communication, Melody uses her expertise to engage mothers in digital spaces, equipping them with practical tools for parenting and personal growth. She lives in Sydney with her husband and their primary-school-aged son.

Julie Laws

Julie is the steady heart behind Mums At The Table and looks after our volunteer moderators. She carries a deep belief that mothers deserve more than survival mode, they deserve support, wisdom and community. With years of experience walking alongside women in all seasons of life, Julie brings calm perspective to big conversations and everyday parenting moments alike. When she’s not investing in mums, you’ll likely find her enjoying meaningful conversations over tea, spending time with family or dreaming up new ways to make sure no mum feels invisible.

Adriana Wales

Adriana is Mums At The Table’s part-time digital content creator. She’s passionate about helping mums feel seen in the messy middle of parenting, not just celebrated in the highlight reel. With a thoughtful and empathetic approach, Adriana contributes to shaping conversations that are both practical and compassionate. She understands that motherhood stretches us in ways we never expected, and she’s committed to creating spaces where growth feels safe. She writes from Kingscliff, Queensland.

Elise Machalek

Elise is always on the lookout for partnerships to create groups that will support local mums in Australia. She believes support should feel accessible, not overwhelming, especially for time-poor mums juggling a thousand moving parts. Elise knows firsthand that motherhood can be both beautiful and bewildering, and she’s passionate about helping mums build confidence in their own instincts. She and her husband live in Gippsland, Victoria with their two children.

Lynelle Laws

What Elise achieves in Australia, Lynelle accomplishes in New Zealand. Lynelle brings wisdom, compassion and a deeply relational approach to everything she does at Mums At The Table. She believes community changes things. That when mums gather honestly, something powerful happens. Her steady presence and thoughtful insight help ensure that what we create is not just helpful, but heartfelt. They have three adult children and one grandchild.

Vania Chew

Vania helps with donor relations for Mums At The Table. She is driven by a desire to see mums equipped and encouraged in the everyday realities of family life. She understands the pressures modern mums face and is passionate about lightening that load through meaningful content and community connection.

Acknowledgement of country

Mums At The Table acknowledges and pay our respects to the past, present and future Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our office is located on the traditional country of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation and we pay respect to our local communities of the Guringai and Dharug peoples.