MOMS Club, International: Support For Stay At Home Moms

When my children were little, I was fortunate to be able to be a stay at home mom. This was my heart's desire, and I felt blessed to be able to be home with them while their father worked outside of the home. Although I loved being home for my children, it was sometimes a bit isolating, so I searched for a support group and found the MOMS Club...

MOMS Club

MOMS Club stands for Moms Offering Moms Support. The original idea for the MOMS Club came from Mary James in 1983. Mary lived in California and was an at home mom. She wanted to meet other at home moms so her kids could have playmates. She started the MOMS Club program to help other at home mothers because she didn't think at home mothers and their children should be isolated. The MOMS Club is now a 501 (C) charity and is over 2,100 chapters strong in the United States alone. There are also MOMS Clubs in a few other countries.

The basic purpose of MOMS Clubs is to support the at home mother. The group supports at home mothers of any age children. Once a mother's children are in school all day, she can continue to stay in the Mom's Club group as long as she remains an at home mom. Meeting for the Club take place during the day, when mothers tend to feel most isolated from other adults. Because it is usually a financial sacrifice for a family to have only one working parents, the dues to belong to a Mom's Club are fairly inexpensive and range from $15 - $30 per year. Each MOMS Club decides the amount of dues the club will charge.

The group provides outings, field trips, play groups, and holiday parties for the kids. At least once per week, there is an event scheduled, and usually more often, especially in MOMS Clubs with a larger number of members. There are also special interest groups, split from the main group, where children are also allowed, but it follows interests of the mom. Specifically for moms, there is a monthly newsletter and a monthly Mom's Night Out event.

Outings

Outings include visits to parks, playgrounds, beaches, hikes, stroller walks, story times at local libraries, ice cream socials, berry picking, etc. During the cold winter months, the outings may include trips to Chuck E. Cheeses and the McDonald's "play places." While the children play outside in the fresh air, the moms get a chance to talk and socialize. This helps them not feel as isolated from other adults while providing an opportunity for their children to socialize as well.

Field Trips

Field trips can include museums, zoos, aquariums, local fire stations, an airport, grocery store tours, and post offices, farms, Gymboree, Science Centers, etc. Often these are places where learning will take place for the children. During the holiday seasons, there are trips to pumpkin farms, Christmas events, story times at the library, etc.

Mom's Night Out

Moms Night Out Events include going out to dinner, pampering nights, wine tastings, yoga, game nights, and movie nights. These can take place out in the community or one of the mom's homes. Except for the Mom's Night Out event, children can be and are encouraged to be present during all other events.

Special Interest Groups

Smaller groups within the club also meet on a regular basis. These groups are led by a chairperson who is in charge of keeping all the group members up to date on when the meetings will be held. The numerous groups from each mom's club can vary in number and includes book groups, at home business groups, a scrap booking group, knitting groups, walking groups, breastfeeding support groups, crafts groups, etc.

Community Service

The group also does at least one community service event each year. This is a great way for moms to feel like they are making a difference in their communities, at a time in their lives where they are so needed by their children, they often don't have time to participate in community service on their own. Some MOMS Clubs are involved in more than one community service project a year. Others choose only one but get very involved in it throughout the year. Examples of community service projects that MOMS Clubs get involved in are donating to local food banks, back to school supplies for needy children, adopting a family to purchase Christmas gifts for, and adopting a soldier to send care packages to. More organized events that involve more community members include participating in walks to raise money such as the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life, or the annual walk for the March of Dimes.

MOMS Clubs can be a huge support to at home moms and will make their days at home with their children that much more fun. Not only do moms find a source of support, and new friendships, but the children involved do as well. The link below will take interested moms to the main MOMS Club International website to help find the closest MOMS Club or to find out more information. If there is not a MOMS club in your area, the organization will help you start one.