MOPS

Today was my MOPS day. MOPS, if you don't already know, stands for Mothers of Pre-Schoolers. I found MOPS after moving to New Hampshire and feeling a bit isolated. I had just quit my job, which was a tough decision for me to make, and moved to a small town where I didn't know anyone. The women I did meet were other mothers at town mommy and child activites. These other women were not fast to warm up to the idea of a new mommy in town. With these feelings of isolation (and feeling like I was on the outside of a high school clique) made me reach out to friends out of town via email. Both friends were (and still are) stay at home moms. One was in California and the other in Florida. Both mentioned MOPS to me. After getting both of their emails, I decided it was time to Google MOPS. I learned that it is an organization for women with pre-school aged children to get together and learn about a variety of topics. In an effort to make it all about the moms, MOPS has a child care program that allows each mom to put their child(ren) in the care of responsible adults while the mom gets to enjoy herself with other women.

The only MOPS in my area is a 45 minute drive. I must say, however, that the 45 minute drive is so worth it for me. The group of women that I met the first year were wonderful. Each of them had their own individual thing to offer and inspire. I found it to be a wonderful time of fellowship with other Christian women. The bonus for me was this: most of the women were not originally from the area, so they understood what I was going through and were very supportive. In addition to these things, I have made some very dear and close friends.

Today's discussion was about communication. Communication with your children, spouse, and family. The guest speaker has a 15 year old, 18 year old and 20 year old. She was very effective and gave some helpful information. Communication with your children I found to be the most informative of all. As my son is growing in his verbal communication skills, I am looking forward to engaging him in meaningful conversation. The one point I found most impressive was that she started a routine with her kids at a very young age of debriefing them about their day each and every day. They sit around their kitchen table and have a snack after school and talk about interesting things that happened during their day. She has been doing it since they have all been in pre-school. What this set into motion was a routine, so that when she asks her kids the same questions now, in their teenage years, her kids do not view her as an interferring mom. It's a simple idea, but a very effective idea. It has built an open and honest household where the kids feel comfortable sharing information.

MOPS
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