- Hannah
- March 26. 2026
Twenty years ago, in April 2006, two American mothers found themselves navigating the exciting, but sometimes overwhelming experience of raising young kids in Shanghai. Seeing a need for connection, Lynda Quintana from Texas and Melanie Ham from North Carolina created a Yahoo Group called Shanghai Mamas, envisioning a space where international parents could share advice, resources, and friendship. What began as a small online group quickly blossomed. Within just six months, nearly three hundred members were actively participating in lively discussions about everything from finding pediatricians to navigating local schools.
The group’s first milestone celebration, a first birthday party in 2007, marked the beginning of Shanghai Mamas as more than just an online resource. On our third birthday in 2009, hundreds of families gathered to celebrate what had become an essential support network for almost 2,000 international parents throughout the city. When Lynda returned to the United States in 2009, she entrusted Melanie with the flourishing community they had built together. Recognizing that Shanghai Mamas had outgrown what one person could manage, Melanie formed the first Executive Committee – a dedicated team of volunteer mothers who shared a vision for what our community could become. Even though Melanie isn’t living in Shanghai all year round anymore, she’s still very much involved with Shanghai Mamas, and we are so grateful for her time and energy.
Shanghai Mamas has continued to grow over the years, and we’ve celebrated several other milestones along the way. 2010 saw the creation of our website, which was built and maintained by the Executive Committee, along with talented volunteers from within our membership. Together they worked tirelessly to develop our first independent website – a place where conversations could be organized into forums, members could connect based on common interests, and the community could truly thrive. Those of us who were volunteer moderators remember that as membership continued to expand, so did our need for a digital space that could better serve our community. This new platform wasn’t just a website; it was a labor of love built for mamas by mamas, reflecting the collaborative spirit that has always defined our community.
Our book club met in 2010 for the first time, and is still going strong 16 years later! (Find the Book Club 2026 reading list
here). Our coffee mornings and meetups grew more frequent, and in January 2011 we started sending out weekly emails to summarize the many discussions happening on our website and connect everyone together. In early 2018, our day to day communications moved from our website over to the WeChat platform, although we do still have fond memories of and maintain our website (check it out here www.shanghaimamas.org). Our day to day operations manager joined us in 2020, and has been a constant source of support as our Executive Committee has changed over the last five years or so. Check out some of our previous Executive Teams – we’re sure you’ll recognize some familiar faces here!
Shanghai Mamas has always been an organization run by members for members, and we don’t charge any membership fees. Our coffee mornings, events and groups are a great way to come together during the day, and our book club, moms nights out and WeChat groups are there for working parents. So, pay it forward guys – get involved, online or in person, and make our community stronger!
Coffee Mornings
Book Club
Book Swap
Night Out
If you would be willing to support the community and help us however you can, not only will you get a giant hug from our Executive Committee, warm feelings of love and achievement, knowledge that you are helping to create a family friendly, safe and welcoming atmosphere, you’ll also help ensure the next twenty years of Shanghai Mamas! Scan the QR code below to get in touch with us. You could volunteer to help write content for our weekly articles, support our events or meetups, or provide support behind the scenes, depending on your availability and experience.
Our volunteers, group admins and hosts.
Another way to help support our community is to join our group chats and come along to our Family Day, usually in October every year!
Support our community by coming along to Family Day:
This community has become a great resource for thousands of mamas navigating Shanghai life. Through all our growth and evolution, our fundamental purpose remains unchanged: providing support, information, and a sense of belonging for all families in Shanghai, whether they’re new to the city or new to parenthood. We create connections that empower every mama to thrive through shared knowledge, mutual support, respect, and an inclusive community that feels like a home away from home. As we look to the future, we remain committed to the vision of our founders—that no family in Shanghai should ever have to navigate the joys and challenges of parenthood alone.
