04-11-2024 Howard Magazine - Flipbook - Page 46
Kris Schneider,
founder of Howard County Moms Facebook
Even though she has run one of the most
popular parenting Facebook pages in Howard
County for the past 15 years, Kris Schneider
doesn’t tell many people about her large following
on Howard County Moms.
Schneider started the group in 2009 and now
has thousands of followers. Back then, her three
kids, now 20, 18, and 13, were much younger, and
Schneider wanted to create a platform to bring
parents in the county together.
“I just wanted to bring this information
to the community and allow parents, moms,
grandmothers, and any caretakers of children to
just come and see what’s going on,” Schneider said.
“I don’t charge anything, and I barely get paid for
it. It’s just something I really like to do.”
She started being paid by Facebook for running
the group last year when she reached 10,000
followers. However, Schneider, who also owns a
company where she does transaction management
for real estate agents, said the money she makes
online barely covers her expenses.
The Facebook page has grown up with her
children, and Schneider said that has shifted the
content she posts.
“It did [change] initially, but then I was like, ‘Oh,
I still need to talk about younger kids,’” Schneider
said. “My kids, they’re what I’m focused on.”
While Schneider said she gets some flack about
not doing more promotional posts for businesses
and services in the area, people typically enjoy her
page and the information she shares. Schneider
says her nightly post asking followers what they’re
making for dinner always gets a big response.
Parents will share recipes, dining
recommendations, and even accomplishments.
One commenter wrote, “My son got his driver’s
license today! He will decide where we eat tonight.”
Above: Claire Duarte and her 3 yearold son Grant Duarte at their home
in Columbia. She runs the website
The Columbia Mom. PHOTOS BY
BARBARA HADDOCK TAYLOR
“I just wanted to bring this information to
the community and allow parents, moms,
grandmothers, and any caretakers of children
to just come and see what’s going on.”
— Kris Schneider, Howard County Moms
46
| Spring 2024 | howardmagazine.com
Left: Kris Schneider, with her
husband, Wayne, right, and their
children, from left, Ryan, 14,
Taylor, 18, and Jackson, 20, at
their Elkridge home. Schneider, a
Howard County mom influencer,
has seen the Facebook page she
started when her kids were young,
Howard County Moms, gain a wide
audience. PHOTO BY AMY DAVIS