If you’ve been around North Austin Family Network for more than a hot minute, you’ve probably noticed something—we love a group chat. In fact, we have one for just about everything. And while it might seem like chaos (because, let’s be honest, sometimes it is), these chats are actually our way of creating “small rooms” where parents can connect more deeply.

Why So Many Chats?

Parenting can feel like standing in the middle of a loud carnival—sticky hands, endless questions, and the constant fear someone just wandered off with a balloon. Big groups are wonderful for community, but smaller rooms give us space to breathe, share, and feel known. That’s what our chats are all about.

Here’s a tour of all our chats, and what they mean for our community:

Cornerstone Chats

• Mama Meet Up – Our largest and most lively chat, the heart of NAFN, where moms share everything from toddler meltdowns to dinner wins.
• Dad Meet Up – Dads deserve their own circle too—this is where they swap parenting tips and plan hangouts.
• Family Meet Up – For coordinating our all-family events, from park days to potlucks.
• The Giggle Gallery – A no-guilt place to overshare baby pictures and milestones.

For chatting with people you have things in common with:

• Mamas of 202X Babies – We’ve got one for each birth year (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026). It’s like a time capsule of teething, sleep regressions, and those big first birthdays.
• SAHM (Stay at Home Moms) – Midday sanity checks, stroller walks, and “what are we making for lunch today?” solidarity.
• Solo but Mighty – A supportive space for single parents to swap wisdom and wins.
• Crunchy Mom Crew – Cloth diapers, babywearing, and kombucha chat lives here.
• Bebes y Bienvenidas – For our Spanish-speaking parents, un lugar para apoyo y amistad.
• Pride & Play Dates – A welcoming chat for LGBTQIA+ parents to connect and plan gatherings.
• Work from Hommies – For parents juggling conference calls and toddlers in the background.
• Leanderthals – A playful name for our Leander-based crew who love hyper-local tips.

For Meeting in person in smaller groups

• Event-Specific Chats – Each one is titled by date (MM/DD – Event Name) to keep planning easy and uncluttered.
• PAT Pals – For families who attend Parents as Teachers Leander, sharing playdate updates and program tips.
• Buy Nothing NAFN – For gifting, swapping, and wishing—because one parent’s outgrown onesie is another’s lifesaver.
• Sunday Meal Prep & Play Date – Once a month, we chop veggies, prep toddler snacks, and let the kids run wild together.
• Mini Minnow Monday – A rotating, DIY mommy-and-me swim lesson at local pools (expect splashing… lots of splashing).
• Supper Club – Monthly potluck dinners at rotating homes, where kids run wild and adults actually get to finish a sentence (sometimes).
• Momcore After Dark – A weekly Wednesday night moms-only hangout where we attempt to upcycle crayons to give away as part of NAFN and successfully have unfiltered gab sessions.

Adventure Planning

• Mamas Gone Mild – Dreaming (and sometimes actually pulling off) a moms’ trip away.
• Big Bend Camping Trip – For the brave souls prepping for our April 2026 family camping adventure.

Running the NAFN

• NAFN Leadership Team – The behind-the-scenes hub for keeping the group running smoothly.

Why It Works

All these chats might seem like “too much,” but really, they’re the heartbeat of our network. They make the big group feel like a collection of cozy little rooms—where you can find your people, swap advice, and know you’re not doing this whole parenting thing alone.

Because sometimes the difference between overwhelm and connection is simply having the right room to walk into.