"Starting Your Own Mom's Group"

By: Brandie Valenzuela

Back to Parenting Toys, Gifts and Games for Babies, Tots and Youngsters Sometimes it is so hard to choose toys for our children. These are some of our favorites! Taken into consideration are creativity, learning, fun, value and of course durability! Suggestions come from real moms with babies, tots and youngsters! Your Child and the Emergency Room The Courage to be a Loving Parent Do School Uniforms Make A Difference? Baby's Reflex Actions Online Fun for the Kiddos Summer Safety Homemaking School for Children The Safe Nursery Summer Reading Contest Extraordinary Benefits Result when you Teach Sign Language To Your Hearing Baby Helping Your Toddler at Hair Cut Time Baby's Reflex Actions Surprising New Info on Children, Allergies, and Pets Flunking Family History Hope Chests Unfortunately It Happened to Me Family Reading Fun Car Travel Activities for Kids Friends Forum Message Boards Contests Family Fun E-Cards Go Shopping Parenting Books

Ask most stay-at-home mothers what their biggest complaint is and most of the time they will say the lack of adult interaction. They love staying at home with their little ones and not having to get dressed for work each day, but for some, it does come with at least one sacrifice, and that is the day to day contact with those your own age.

If you belong to a church, volunteer at your child's school, or participate in other activities, it is quite possible that you have opportunities to gather with other moms.  Many churches have a women organizations, or other more social activities, in which mothers of all ages can meet and get to know women of their own faith.  At schools, it is most often the mothers of children who are the room moms, classroom volunteers, and field trip chaperones, so the chance to meet other mothers is all around. Even still, other moms who take classes, or have children enrolled in activities such as soccer or dance, are able to connect with moms that might share their own interests.

Even with all this said, it is sometimes much easier said than done to meet other moms.  If you are a shy person, the idea of approaching someone you don't know might seem a little scary.  Even those of us who don't consider ourselves to be shy, still find that meeting other mothers to be next to impossible.  I am here to say that is can be done, and if you are determined enough, before you know it you will have your own small group of mothers who have been looking to connect with others just like you!

1)  The first things to remember is that there is most likely other mothers in your area who are looking to meet other moms like yourself.  If you keep focused on this,  you will be less likely to quit your efforts, if one or two people aren't interested in your group.

2)  Think of the type of club you are interested in starting.  Are you looking to start a club for moms of preschool aged children?  Maybe a club for all mothers?  Think about your own situation, and the ages of your own children to help you decide the kind of group you would like to start.

3)  Check out existing groups.  When looking to start a new group, it is always best to check what is out there.  Your area might have no groups for mothers, but you might find several.  In my area, there is a group for mothers, so I looked into how they operate.  I wasn't comfortable with a couple aspects of their club, so I decided creating my own club might be a good idea.

4)  If you decide to go ahead with starting your club, you will need think of how you would like to operate.  Not all your operations need to be set in stone at this time, but if is a good idea to know the basic way you wish to run.  For example, are you looking to create an informal group of mothers who that visit the local park weekly, or would you like something more such as a group that has playdates, meetings, and more?  There are a variety of fun things you can do with your group.
Some ideas are:
      *Mom & tot exercise classes
      *Picnics
      *Craft classes
      *Moms & Me field trips
      *Moms night out
      *Weekly lunch at McDonald's (or other restaurant with playground)
      *Secret Pals
    
5)  Get the word out to everyone.  The best way to do this is to personally talk with other mothers.  You can find other moms at your child's school, at the park, even at the supermarket.  Put a smile on your face and start up a conversation with any mother that you would like to get to know better. Explain to the moms that you meet that you are a stay-at-home mom who would really love to get together with other moms and would she be interested in some playdates and other activities.  Chance are these moms will give you an enthusiastic "YES"!

6)  More formal advertising is often a great way to meet up with other moms that you don't come into contact with. Visit small businesses in your area (such as children clothing stores and pediatric offices) and ask if you  would be able to put some flyers on their counter or hang one up on a bulletin board. If you have a parks and rec (or community center) in your area, contact someone who is in charge of creating new events or groups and see if they can help you with creating a group for mothers.

7)  If you have internet access, I would encourage you to create a email list for mothers in your area.  Creating such a group is free if you use a service such as Yahoogroups at http://groups.yahoo.com This is a great way for you to connect with moms near you, and can serve as a convenient way to chat or share information with the other email savvy moms in your group. 

As you can see, starting your own mom's groups isn't overly difficult and the possibilities are endless.  If you have ever wished that you could meet other mom's just like you, then don't hesitate and get started on creating your group today!

©2001 - Brandie Valenzuela

More articles by Brandie:
-Halloween Traditions for the Less-Spooky Family
-Cooking With Apples
-Patriotic Crafts For Kids
-Starting Your Own Mom's Group
-Muffin Mixes in a Bag
-How to create a pocket page!
-Marble Painting
-Got Extra Photos? Here's What To Do!
-Finding The Time to Scrap
-Bubbles Galore
-Childhood Games