MOPs organization provides information, support for mothers

In its second year in Ritzville, the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPs) organization continues to help mothers with young children by providing advice and support during the child’s early developmental years.

Mothers are welcome to join the MOPs group from conception until their children are in kindergarten.

Lindy Brierly has been the local program coordinator for the past two years. She became involved with MOPs when she lived on the west side of the state, and wanted to start a group here. Brierly moved to Ritzville in 2006, and her and her mother began the local MOPs group nearly two years ago.

MOPs is an international organization, and it provides the local chapters with all the material they need to get started and a coach to help become an established membership. MOPs started with a small group of women who met to support each other through motherhood, and has now spread worldwide.

The organization is a non-denominational, faith-based program, but it does not include Bible study and all mothers are welcome to attend regardless of religious beliefs, Brierly emphasized.

All mothers are welcome, she stated, including married, divorced, single, adoptive parent, foster parent or teen mothers.

After establishing a local chapter, the group meets twice a month: once for a meeting and once for a playdate.

The purpose of the group is to create a safe, judgment free environment where mothers can discuss issues parenting issues and receive advice from other mothers who may have had the same experience. Brierly said MOPs is a support group that focuses on providing advice, research tips and also opening discussing the “highs and lows” of parenting.

“There are so many different ways to parent,” Briely said, “It’s cool to have different perspectives.”

Each program consists primarily of discussion, Brierly explained, but presentations generally last for 40 minutes. The meetings last for two hours, and those in attendance can address any concerns they may have, even if it is outside of the presentation topic.

Brierly said each MOPs group operates differently, and they have an opportunity to utilize the specialists provided through MOPS, or they can seek out local individuals to come in, share their stories and complete presentations.

The Ritzville group has varied between the two options, using specialists from across the country but also taking advantage of the knowledge that is available in the local community.

The local presentations have covered minimalist living, cooking and a variety of other topics, while one of the more popular MOPs topics has been meeting with a sleep specialist.

Brierly said sleep is one of the most common and frequently visited topics for the group, as the mothers share advice of what has helped their children sleep and specialists provide recommendations as well.

Other topics covered with the group have included meal planning, organizing, a mentor mom panel, forgiveness, and marriage and relationships.

Brierly said expectant mothers, mothers of children kindergarten age or younger, and home school mothers are welcome to join the group.

Mothers are invited to attend a few months of meetings before they decide if they would like to join the organization, at which point they would be asked to pay membership dues.

The group meets at the Ritzville Nazarene Church from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on the first and third Thursday of every month. The first Thursday meeting is a play date for the children, while the second one is focused on sharing information and participating in presentations.

During the second meeting, Brierly said childcare, food and a program are provided at no cost to the attendants. All of those who join the program do pay a membership fee, but a scholarship program has been started through the church for those who cannot afford the cost.

Brierly said cost should not be a reason that keeps any mother from benefitting from the group. She also emphasized the group is open to any mothers in the local area, not just Ritzville.

The local chapter started with four mothers, and now includes 12 moms, Brierly explained. She added the majority of the group members are from Lind and Washtucna.

“Your life changes when you have kids, and it is great to have a group of moms who are in the same place in life, and have that commonality,” Brierly explained.

She said her personal favorite part of the group is being able to meet other moms and create lifelong friendships.

The group focuses on real life discussions, but Brierly said they try to stay away from controversial issues that may cause conflict in the group. While the chapter has a schedule of topics and may not revisit the same one within two years’ time, she said mothers are welcome to bring up any topic that they require advice about.

Brierly said currently her mother provides childcare during the meetings, along with assistance from other local volunteers, but the group cannot exceed 25 children. If there is an increased interest in the program, Brierly said they would consider creating a second meeting date to accommodate the need.

The MOPs program starts in October and goes through April, and special events or summer playdates are announced through the group’s Facebook page.

Brierly said she understands it can be easy to isolate yourself during your child’s early years, and she encourages all mothers of young children to attend to find commonality and support from other parents having the same experience.

She added it is also important for the children to be able to interact with one another and develop friendships of their own.

All information regarding meetings and more are available on the group’s Facebook page: http://facebook.com/ritzvillemops.

Brierly encouraged mothers to contact her through the page with any questions they may have regarding the MOPs organization.