Every day, Mitzi Trout spends about 3 hours with the mothers group she joined before her son Ben was born in October 1998. All in cyberspace. The ladies that I have met through iVillage have not only filled a gap, they are a source of escape, advice, inspiration, love, acceptance and plain old adult conversation. Gone are the coffee klatches of our childhoods, where moms would gather in one another's harvest-gold kitchens for a cup of joe and a Tareyton cigarette.
Online communities form around shared interests and experiences.
Ky. Nance and other online moms are so tight, they can reel off one another's birthdays and those of their children. They also sometimes share uncensored consumer reviews of strollers, car seats and the latest videos for kids. On any given day, Net experts estimate, moms who are frequent posters spend as much as four hours communicating with one another. The need for immediate information or answers to specific child-care issues or concerns keeps many women online into the wee hours of the morning. And even though most groups are not more than 2 or 3 years old, loyalty is high.