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Mothers
& More
Mothers & More is a support and advocacy
network for women who have altered their career paths in order to care for
their children at home. The
organization is dedicated to helping women get more from their lives -
more time with their children, more flexible work options, and more ways
to combine career and family over a number of years.
For
the mother who is at home with children, this organization creates a
wonderful opportunity to meet a network of friends. M&M provides
many activities, including playgroups and mother/child activities during the
day, moms only functions at night such as book clubs, moms'
night out, and bi-monthly meetings which focus on topics of interest to
the members. The group also performs
community service works and advocates women's issues. Each chapter
is semi-autonomous in the amount and types of activities provided.
The national organization provides national conferences and a magazine called
Forum, which comes out every other month. Most chapters also have their own monthly newsletters.
Since its inception in 1987, Mothers
& More has grown to more than 180 chapters across the country.
Website address: www.mothersandmore.org
MOPS
MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers. This international support
group is unique in that it has a Christian focus. MOPS organizations
meet in local churches. The goal of the organization is to nurture
and provide acceptance to all types of mothers (teens, urban, suburban,
etc.). Other aims of the organization are to provide opportunities for women to
attain leadership skills by volunteering within the group and to promote
the spiritual growth of its members.
MOPS meetings are unique in that they
provide a full program for both the mothers and their children. A
typical MOPS meeting consists of the following:
- A "teaching" segment,
featuring a guest speaker or a presentation by one or more of the
members which focuses on parenting, marriage, and other issues
important to the membership
- small discussion groups led by members
- a crafts activity for the mothers
- social time
- MOPPETS, a preschool program for the
children with a biblical focus
MOPS also provides leadership retreats
and a monthly newsletter for members.
Website address: www.gospelcom.net/mops
MOMS
Club International
The MOMS Club (stands for Moms Offering Moms Support) is a national
network of support groups specifically targeted to stay-at-home
moms. This organization currently consists of over 1,250 chapters
with more than 63,000 members across the United States. Unlike MOPS,
this organization is not limited to only mothers of preschoolers.
All meetings and most activities of the group are held during the day,
when at-home mothers need the most support. Children are welcome at
all activities. Local groups offer many types of activities,
including:
- monthly meetings with speakers and
discussions
- play groups and a babysitting co-op
- monthly MOMS night out
- special activity groups related to
members' interests
Website address: www.momsclub.org
Attachment
Parenting International
API advocates attachment
parenting methods to develop and fulfill a child's need for trust, empathy
and affection to create secure relationships. There are currently
nearly 100 groups in 27 states around the United States and several
international groups. The
goals
of the organization include the following:
- To
educate society about the psychological and emotional needs of babies
and young children
- To develop appropriate standards and
guidelines to aid the judicial system, policy makers and child
advocacy agencies in promoting the attachment process
- To empower women in all societies
Website address: www.attachmentparenting.org
National
Association of Mother's Centers (NAMC).
NAMC is a non-profit
umbrella organization which includes more than 50 Mother's Centers across
the country. Local centers provide a supportive place for mothers to
share their experiences and learn more about their child's development.
The centers sponsor workshops, seminars, groups and special events and
serve as a place where mothers can come together with other mothers and
members of the professional community to explore the experience of
becoming and being mothers.
Website address:
www.motherscenter.org
La
Leche League, International.
La Leche League
International provides support and encouragement to breastfeeding mothers,
as well as a wealth of information on the subject. Meetings and
get-togethers provide opportunities for support and friendship among
members. Membership in
LLL provides the following benefits:
- monthly meetings which are held in
members' homes
- bimonthly magazine, called New
Beginnings
- telephone assistance for mothers with
breastfeeding questions
- discounts on breastfeeding items and
LLL publications
- regional and international conferences
Website address: http://lalecheleague.org
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