Anyone have Mommy cards?

[Wheres Toto]

I've been thinking about getting/printing Mommy cards - business type cards with phone number, email, blog address, etc. I belong to a Mom's club and recently began joining homeschool groups. I have a longish email that is really hard to dictate to people and I've had to do it a lot lately. I keep saying I need to get cards to give out instead. Vistaprint has cards that are free with shipping and I have ones I can print out myself so cost is not really a concern at all.

 

So, what do you think about the idea of Mommy cards? Does it seem kind of weird? If you have them, what information do you have on them? I'm thinking first name with just last initial, cell phone number, email and blog address. I've seen some where people had their kids first names on them (to help other moms remember where they met - I gave someone my email today and put down my ydd's name since we met at her class).

[dirty ethel rackham]

I know people who have done this. VistaPrint is a great place to get this done. You can get like 250 for free, just pay shipping. Just don't click on things without reading the fine print after your order is submitted.

[GoVanGogh]

I did the first two years I homeschooled. I just printed them off my computer on cardstock - used Publisher to format the cards.

I loved having them to hand out, instead of searching for a pen and piece of paper... And other mothers always commented on what a nice idea it was.

This is actually a good reminder to make some more.

 

I included my first name and my son's first name. (His name is fairly unusual so people always remembered it.) Then I put my e-mail addy and cell phone.

[Dmmetler]

I use my business cards more for this than for the actual purpose for which they're intended-I just add my DD's name to them, since they have my name, my home phone, and my e-mail.

[Crimson Wife]

It's fairly common in my social circle for moms to have "calling cards". Usually they have the mom's full name, kids' names, phone, and email.

 

To be frank, I find it rather pretentious. It's like these Type A former career women can't bear the thought of no longer having business cards :nopity:

[JVA]

I 2nd Vistaprint....you can get a good number of them FREE. It's really helped me when I've needed to leave my name/number- faster, no writing mistakes etc.... I keep a bunch of them in my wallet.

[Quad Shot Academy]

We have a family card. It has both adults names, all of the kids names and my email and my cell phone. We got ours from Colorful Images.

[Supertechmom]

This sounds really neat. I'm a support leader, visit the state house regularly, meet someone new (at least one) every single week, and am forever wondering if I handed out a business card would it look tacky as I always have to give out contact info. This would make it so much easier. But I am scared of coming off like Crimson mom said. It's pretty obvious in a few minutes that ex corporate climber I am. :lol: A "business " card just might push the ledge!! LOL!

[Renthead Mommy]

Every time we move I do this. It's fairly normal on bases. Every time you move, it's a new house, new number, new cell phones. It's so much easier than flipping open my cell phone to look at the number I don't have memorized yet! Plus if I've got those with me, I've got something to write other peoples numbers on as well too. And we usually move during PCS season, so we're meeting new people who also don't have numbers memorized yet, or meeting old people who are meeting mulitple new neighbors at the same time period.

[Cammie]

 

To be frank, I find it rather pretentious. It's like these Type A former career women can't bear the thought of no longer having business cards :nopity:

 

 

Ouch! This seems unnecessarily harsh. What if someone had said something about the "lazy unemployed moms who can't get off the couch." These types of stereotypes don't do any of us any good. They just feed into the whole woman vs. woman thing.

[Mergath]

Honestly, I've always found the idea of mommy cards a bit strange. I can't put my finger on what, exactly, I don't like about it, but it seems odd to me. Perhaps it's because I live in rural Minnesota, and people here don't really do things like that. I'm sure it's normal in more urban areas, but if you gave one of those to someone here, you'd probably get a long, blank stare, and an "Um... thanks." :tongue_smilie:

[JoyfulMama]

I have found them to very convenient. No hunting around for paper and pen. No errors in reading quickly scrawled handwriting.

 

I don't usually put my kids names on them - the contact info is for me. However there is lots of room for me to write their names or a website on the back.

 

Oh, and when we moved my dh liked having my card in his wallet. If someone asked him his address, he'd just whip it out.:lol:

[Amber in AUS]

I have thought about this but never done anything about it. Not sure how it would go down here.

[JeneralMom]

I love the idea. I have business cards through Vistaprint and looked at the free ones to get as mommy cards. I give away my business cards to people I know are not interested in my business (wine sales) just because they have my name and # on them.

[TechWife]

I have cards - I've never thought of them as mommy cards, though. They include my name, address, home & mobile numbers, blog address. My son's name is not on it.

 

I purchased mine through vista print - only paid s&h. They are very nice. Around here, about 1/2 of the people I meet have them. It is a great convenience.

 

Generations ago, before you could call ahead, people had calling cards to leave at houses they went to where the person they wanted to see wasn't home. Those only had the name, though (of course, they didn't have phones). It was customary to write a personal note on the back.

[Crimson Wife]

Ouch! This seems unnecessarily harsh. What if someone had said something about the "lazy unemployed moms who can't get off the couch." These types of stereotypes don't do any of us any good. They just feed into the whole woman vs. woman thing.

 

You don't know the women in my social circle. It isn't just the cards, it's the whole attitude. These are the women who enroll their kids in Jr. Kumon before they're even out of Pull-Ups to prep for the overpriced nursery school that will lead to the "right" elementary school and on down the line to the coveted Ivy League admission. Who if you ask them about scheduling a preschool playdate whip out their iPhone or Blackberry and have to squeeze you in between Itsy Bitsy Yoga, Suzuki Violin, and Mandarin Immersion. They're taking all the energy they used to devote towards having a high-powered corporate career and putting it towards competitive motherhood. :rolleyes:

[jujsky]

Thank you for posting this!!!!! My friend just gave me a card like this, and I was wondering what the heck it was and why she gave it to me. Now I know :D

[OnTheBrink]

I think it's a good idea. A card would not be as quickly tossed out of my purse as would a scrap piece of paper with info written on it.

 

I may look into this.

[chadzwife]

Crimson--i think ur exactly right with this. these are women who aren't "home". they're just there for the season and whoosh back to real life when the kids are older. like a dry drunk...not drinking but not thinking---"right-thinking" ya know?

sorry for the analogy if anyone is offended by it but my dad's a drunk (his word and all his AA friends' word also) and he uses the analogy all the time

and i think this concept is sooo important...*B E* there with ur kids, don't just be in the same real estate as them at the moment.

children as competition...<sigh>

[mom2denj]

Same thing happpend here. :DI was kind of confused. Now that some posters have said that it is fairly common in certain areas, it makes more sense. I am not military, but I totally get the military reasoning.

Thank you for posting this!!!!! My friend just gave me a card like this, and I was wondering what the heck it was and why she gave it to me. Now I know :D

[Wheres Toto]

Thank you for all the replies. I have never been offered a card but I don't think it's something people would find really bizarre around here.

 

I probably should print a few first and see if I use them but I love the designs and "glossiness" of the Avery ones. :D I'll just have to make sure I remember to have some with me all the time.

[Cammie]

You don't know the women in my social circle. It isn't just the cards, it's the whole attitude. These are the women who enroll their kids in Jr. Kumon before they're even out of Pull-Ups to prep for the overpriced nursery school that will lead to the "right" elementary school and on down the line to the coveted Ivy League admission. Who if you ask them about scheduling a preschool playdate whip out their iPhone or Blackberry and have to squeeze you in between Itsy Bitsy Yoga, Suzuki Violin, and Mandarin Immersion. They're taking all the energy they used to devote towards having a high-powered corporate career and putting it towards competitive motherhood. :rolleyes:

 

This may be coming close to hijacking the thread but I find your comments so interesting. :001_smile: What is different between what you said and having to "squeeze someone in" between co-op classes, community symphony and church activities? Seems like it is just a judgment call that one group of activities has worth and one does not.

 

Lots of us have very busy lives (at least it appears so from the board.) Doesn't seem to have anything to do with whether the mother was a "type A out of the workforce" mother or not. (As I am sure you have figured out - I kind of self-identify with that description!:tongue_smilie:)

 

I understand the type of high pressure, competitive motherhood you are talking about. It exists in most major cities. However, at least from what I have seen, it has nothing to do with whether the mom was employed or not. Probably has more to do with how much education the mother has, how priviledge a background the family has, etc. Most of the moms I know like this are not people who left a high powered career. They are college educated women who are staying at home and raising a family the best way they know how.

 

It is a values issue. I just don't think that it is how moms should judge other moms. We are (most of us) trying to do this the best way we know how. My way may not be your way and your way may not fit me. As much as I wish I could - I could never be the organic vegatable growing, home-cooking, sewing, raising chicks whole foods momma that some people are. It is just not me. I don't think it makes me less. Just different. And yes, I do have to schedule activities for my kids in my blackberry - or else I might forget!