‘Our vision come to life:’ The Mom Lounge opens in South Lubbock

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - A dream has become reality for two Lubbock moms hoping to create a safe space for parents and their children to learn and grow.

The Mom Lounge is now open in South Lubbock, after years of hard work from owners Anna O’Steen and Mary McCabe.

Anna and Mary first shared their dream in 2021: to create a space in Lubbock for parents to relax, learn and connect with their children and other families.

“We don’t just want to be a business for moms, we want to be a movement for moms,” McCabe said at the time.

When The Mom Lounge opened to the public for the first time this week, the two saw their vision come to life.

“We had a friends and family this past Saturday. It was amazing just to see the hustle and bustle; the kids, the moms, parents, families just all having such a great response,” O’Steen said. “Literally like bistro-style, like moms the other day were like making friends, it was really awesome, while their kids played.”

They first noticed the need for a place like this in Lubbock a few years ago. Mary says when she had her son, she wanted to get out of the house, but realized there weren’t many places to go with him.

“Somewhere like Starbucks, you can’t lay your baby on the ground, or he or she cries and you kind of get glares. And I just thought, I would love to have a place to go that’s comfortable, that I can sit back and breastfeed,” McCabe said.

Instead of waiting for a space like that to come to Lubbock, they created their own.

O’Steen says it offers all the things a stressed-out parent could need, like complimentary coffee, neck massagers, and a private room if parents need some peace and quiet or a spot to breastfeed.

It also has plenty to keep the kiddos entertained, like the large play space complete with a slide, chalkboard, reading nook, swings, and sensory walls. The space is targeted for babies up to five years old and features Montessori toys.

“Letting them be able to step aside from their parents and then play on their own is huge, and parents can have a moment to sit and relax. Watching them play and interact with other children is really the key to learning. They’re only going to learn it through themselves, but we teach them along the way, which is cool,” O’Steen said.

Customers can rent out the lounge on Saturdays for birthday parties or baby showers. There are also classes for things like story time, music, sensory play and yoga.

“We call them Parent and Me, but grandparents, caregivers, nannies, moms of course, everyone’s welcome to come do the class. We actually had a dad come in today and he said I wasn’t sure if I’m welcome, and we said yes, you’re welcome,” McCabe said.

The Lounge also offers educational classes for parents, featuring topics like breastfeeding and pelvic floor, and gives them an opportunity to ask questions.

“We have resources that help moms just with Q&A, we just need to bounce ideas off each other sometimes. Just finding the community of moms and families who need that,” O’Steen said.

Open play at The Mom Lounge is $8 per person (6 months and under are free), Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s in The Village shopping center off of 82nd St. and Quaker. You can learn more and sign up for classes on themomlounge.com.

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