Whimsical September

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Two of My Favorite Parenting Organizations: Parents as Teachers & MOPS

I always perk up when someone shares with me a new resource that Hadley and/or I will enjoy or learn from, so I’m always happy to blab about two of my favorite outings/resources for moms that are available to me in our town and may be available to you in yours as well!

Parents As Teachers

We are so thankful for the PAT program, also known as Parents As Teachers. This program is funded by our local city school system and employs early childhood teachers to make in-home visits once per month to children birth through one’s third birthday. During these one-hour long visits, teachers bring educational and fun activities to do with the child while also teaching the parent how to recreate many of the activities using simple things already around the home, like shaving cream or pasta noodles.

Sometimes as a mom I’m not always sure what activities I should be working on at what stage with Hadley (and now Sadie), so this teacher makes sure that we’re on track and working on age-appropriate skills. Hadley’s teacher has held my hand through eating struggles, sleeping transitions, Hadley’s adjustment when Jamie deployed, potty training, and so much more.

PAT
{During our July PAT visit, Hadley got to draw shapes, recognize numbers, and just plain make a mess with shaving cream. She loved it, and I was surprised by how mess-free it was.}

Hadley will phase out of this program in a couple months when she turns three, but we’ll continue with Sadie for the duration of time we’re here in Kansas. To find out if this program is offered in your area, click here.

MOPS

With fall around the corner, it’s also time for a new MOPS year to kick off! This will be my third year with our local MOPS chapter, and I’m so grateful for this group of women.

MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers, and moms with at least one child between birth and age five are invited to join. MOPS groups typically meet twice per month September through May, though many groups offer playgroups and “Moms Night Out” events throughout the year as well. Our local chapter does social events once per month and will begin offering Friday morning playgroups at alternating locations around town this year as well.

MOPS is a Christian-based group, but strives to meet moms wherever they are in their faith. Each meeting is a little over two hours long and provides on-site child care so that moms can have some kid-free time to eat breakfast, possibly listen to a short speaker, have girl talk while working on a craft, and more. Each MOPS groups is broken up into smaller groups that stick together throughout the year so that tighter friendships have the chance to be formed.

MOPS
{I snapped this picture during our family-centered MOPS social night last fall.}

I first started attending MOPS a couple months after we moved to Kansas in 2014 and was super nervous to attend my first meeting since I didn’t know a soul. It took a few months for the other moms to start to feel more like friends than acquaintances, but now I consider them some of my very favorite people. I always feel refreshed and understood after a morning spent with them. I look forward to every single time I get to spend in their company.

My best friend in Atlanta and my sister in Florida are both new moms and are signed up to start attending their local MOPS group next month, and I’m so excited for them to start getting plugged in with this great organization.

Click here to learn more about the PAT program and MOPS!

What are some of your favorite extracurricular/volunteer/social organizations that you’re a part of?

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