04-11-2024 Howard Magazine - Flipbook - Page 44
Buswell started M.OTHERS, an online magazine that takes an inclusive approach to families and child care.
PHOTO BY AMY DAVIS
Jessica Buswell,
creator of M.OTHERS
After trying out a few parenting groups in
the area, photographer Jessica Buswell landed
on one she thought was a good fit for her and
her two kids. But she said the mom-group
drama that came with even the average “Who
is a good pediatrician in the area?” questions
pushed Buswell to pave her own path in the mominfluencer world.
With a focus on creating an inclusive group
for parents of all races, sexual orientations,
and gender identities, Buswell started her own
parenting group called M.OTHERS in September.
Fast-forward to present day, and the Howard
County chapter of this budding group has nearly
3,000 members.
M.OTHERS was originally a Facebook group
for all things parenting, but Buswell quickly
expanded the organization into a magazine after
she saw the impact her Facebook group had on
local parents.
“I decided that the best way to spread
community inclusivity and community kindness
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| Spring 2024 | howardmagazine.com
was by starting an online publication that people
could read,” Buswell said.
The organization now has chapters in Anne
Arundel County and Montgomery County, along
with the founding Howard County chapter. As the
organization expands, Buswell says her priorities
remain the same.
“It’s extremely important to highlight that I
never set out to become an influencer. That was
not what I intended,” Buswell said. “I just was
myself, and I was like, ‘This is ridiculous. We
need to find a group that doesn’t exclude people
based on their gender and their sexual orientation
and their race.’”
Buswell said the community response has been
overwhelmingly positive, minus a few trolls who
commented on the inclusivity of the organization.
“I have had people come forward and said,
‘Thank you so much for creating this inclusive
space, because I have a child who just came out
who is gay, and I love knowing that our future
generations are going this way.”’