A little mom time

COEUR d’ALENE — Doree Handford thinks moms could use a break.

So she wants to give them one.

The Rathdrum mother of six has scheduled a “Mom Prom” for 5 to 8 p.m. April 27 at the Kroc Center.

The moms-only event will offer a chance to dress up, dance, play games, win prizes, listen to music and enjoy food.

Handford, a childbirth educator, said she sees moms daily who are struggling to keep up with the demands of family, home, work and any number of other activities they routinely take on.

“I used to be one of those moms,” she said.

Handford said she went through severe postpartum depression with her second child. 

“I didn’t feel like I could turn to anybody, I didn't feel like I could ask for help,” she said.

Handford said many women have an underlying feeling they must be a super mom, but that results being stuck in survival mode.

“You’re actually not your best self and not your best parenting self,” she said. 

By making mental and physical well-being a priority, “You can parent in a better space not with exhaustion and being totally drained," she said.

She believes the Mom Prom will be an uplifting event. The goal is to “empower parents to thrive through strategic community building and sponsor support.”

“Imagine a world where seeking support is encouraged as a normal part of parenting,” a flier for the event said.

Proceeds will go to A Parent’s Paradise Charities, LLC, a nonprofit Handford is forming that will be dedicated to supporting parents.

Handford is still looking for partners to help put on the event.

Tickets are $50 until March 18, and then $75. VIP tickets are $100.

Info: doreethedoula@gmail.com