Share the joys and struggles of motherhood with other moms by joining a local mom's group for parenting support, play dates for your kids and building friendships.
Motherhood is a precious gift marked by a journey of ups and downs that only others who are blessed to be a mother too can truly understand and relate to. Spending time with other moms, sharing your parenting challenges, giving and receiving advice, and striking up friendships for you and your children will not only help to keep you sane amongst all the insanity of motherhood, but will make your parenting experience all the richer and smoother.
Joining a mom's group in the area you live in is an easy way to connect with other local mothers through group meetings, message boards and/or a calendar of activities designed for both mom and child. Not only are mom's groups an all-inclusive avenue to meet your parenting needs at every stage of your mothering journey, they can be a lot of fun too!
Mom's groups come in all shapes and sizes, so there's definitely a match out there for you and your kids, depending on what you're looking for.
MOPS
MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers, and is a group designed for mothers of children from birth to Kindergarten to celebrate motherhood and encourage one another through the challenges. MOPS groups are meetings that focus on discussion, teaching, creative activities and Moppetts – a preschool-like class setting available for children while moms attend the main meeting. Although the group is a Christian organization based in local churches, all mothers are encouraged to join. MOPS groups meet all over the United States and in 35 countries around the world. To find a MOPS Group in your area, visit MOPS.org.
The Mommies Network
The Mommies Network is a free community open to moms in all stages of motherhood, including grandmothers. Members can chat online in a secure, private forum day or night, discussing everything from breastfeeding concerns and discipline to local hot spots and television shows. Moms also meet up regularly in their local city for organized play dates and Mom's Night Out, in addition to other activities tailored to the specific community. The Mommies Network currently sponsors 100 communities in 30 states and one Canadian Province. To find out if there is a group in your city or to start one in your area, visit TheMommiesNetwork.org.
Mom's Club
The Mom's Club is a support group that caters to stay-at-home moms of children of all ages, and hosts activities for mom and child. Playgroups, book clubs and Mom's Night Out are only a few of the Club's many offerings. There are 2000 chapters in the United States. To find a Club near you visit MomsClub.org.
More Mom's Group Resources
CafeMom.com
MeetUp.com
MatchingMoms.com
Check with local churches or parks and recreation for more local mom's groups.
With many national and local options, finding a mom's group in your area that meets the specific needs of you and your children will take minimal effort, while offering numerous advantages to your family.
The copyright of the article Where to Find a Mom's Group in Your Area in Parenting Support Groups is owned by Julie Pirkle. Permission to republish Where to Find a Mom's Group in Your Area in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
There are many more places to find more mothers' mutual support groups.
Some of those other national self-help (i.e., member-run) organizations
include:
Mothers & More http://www.mothersandmore.org Support and advocacy groups for women
who have altered their career paths to care for their children at home. It
is not about opposing mothers who work outside the home; rather it is about
respecting, supporting and advocating for choice in how one combines
working and parenting.
National Association of Mothers' Centers
https://www.motherscenter.org/sobi2/3.html Discussion groups and
other activities regarding parenting, pregnancy, childbirth and
childrearing. Warm, welcoming environment of support.
Holistic
Moms Network http://www.holisticmoms.org Provides awareness,
education and support for holistic parenting and provides a nurturing,
open-minded and respectful community for parents to share these ideals.
Encourages moms and dads to parent naturally and educate themselves about
alternative health, mindful parenting and natural healing. Assists in
starting new chapters.
Mocha Moms, Inc. http://www.mochamoms.org Provides support groups for at-home mothers
of color. Sponsors weekly support group meeings, monthly moms-only events
and ongoing community service and volunteer opportunities.
There are also many other mothers groups for: single moms, mothers of
twins and multiple, breast-feeding moms, new moms groups run by hospital
staff, and more. A good place to turn to, to either find a group, or to
start a local group of your own, is a non-profit local self-help group
clearinghouse. For a listing of those worldwide, go to: http://www.mentalhelp.net/selfhelp/selfhelp.php?id=859
- Ed at
the American & N.J. Self-Help Group Clearinghouses St. Clare's
Hospital, Dover, NJ "Helping people find & form their own
community support groups throughout NJ for over 28 years." In NJ
only, 1-800-367-6274, more easily remembered as 1-800-FOR-M.A.S.H.
(Mutual Aid Self-Help). www.selfhelpgroups.org
"No one, professional or amateur, should underestimate the immense
fund of goodness, knowledge and resourcefulness possessed by ordinary
parents." - Clara Clairborne Park
Feb 15, 2009 7:33 PM
EdinNJ :
There are many other national organizations of moms' support groups worth
checking out: - Mothers and More - http://www.mothersandmore.org - Mocha Moms - http://www.mochamoms.org - Holistic Moms -
http://www.holisticmoms.org - LaLeche League (breastfeeding moms -
http://www.lalecheleague.org ) - Mothers' Centers -
https://www.motherscenter.org/sobi2/3.html - Mothers of Twins or
Multiples - http://www.nomotc.org/ and others - Single moms self-help
groups - http://www.singlemothersbychoice.com
There are also
many different moms groups which are local, independent, member-run groups,
not affliated with any national mom's group organization. Many hospitals
run new moms groups too. For finding these local independent moms' groups,
you can check with a local self-help group clearinghouse that may operate
in your state (CT, NJ & KS have statewide self-help group
clearinghouses) or local area. Such clearinghouses also help moms
interested in starting their own group! See a complete list of local
self-help group clearinghouses available worldwide at: http://www.mentalhelp.net/selfhelp/selfhelp.php?id=859
Take
care and hope,
- Ed N.J. & American Self-Help Group
Clearinghouses "Helping people find & form their own
community support groups throughout NJ for over 28 years." In NJ,
1-800-367-6274, more easily remembered as 1-800-FOR-M.A.S.H. (Mutual
Aid Self-Help). www.selfhelpgroups.org
“One of the
most important capabilities of community self-help groups is that ordinary
people can develop such groups in their local communities when none exist,
and subsequently their group usually serves as an extraordinary resource to
many in that area for several years. I still find it amazing that to start
a group, a person doesn't need a grant, an agency, or even an office - just
the inspiration and a few other people who share their experience and hope.
What significantly helps in providing such inspiration is a person's
knowledge of an existing national organization or a model group, which can
provide them with basic information so they don't have to ‘re-invent the
wheel.’ " - E. Madara, "Mutual Aid Self-Help Group
Developments” in Community Psychologist, 39 (3), Fall, 2006, p. 21.
Apr 3, 2009 10:28 PM
Guest :
If you're looking for a moms' group in the south of Boston area, visit
these two sites:
www.sobomomsconnect.com - they offer small,
facilitated support groups for new moms and their babies.
www.bigtent.com/groups/sobomoms -SOBO Moms Online Network for moms who
live south of Boston.
Feb 12, 2009
