Mom Mantras

I know I post a lot about parenting. Tips and tricks, philosophies, enouragements. I am always worried when I post something like that, someone is thinking, "Why does she think she's such an expert?" Well, the answer is, I don't. At all. I just think about parenting ALL THE TIME. I am the type of person who, when faced with a problem, reads about it and makes plans to solve it. I try numerous ideas. My little ones are pretty much guinea pigs for different theories that I've read about. After struggles getting Wesley to stay in bed, I immediately bought the book No Cry Sleep Sleep Solution for Toddlers. I subscribe to no fewer than four parenting blogs. When Drea's nap schedule seemed to be chaotic, I dusted off my copy of Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. I am a parenting book junkie.

But, nothing has helped me in my journey as a parent (and finding peace with my parenting) as much as something I decided to do on my own. After a recent church service, where Pastor Neil encouraged us to have silent prayer time, I wrote down a few parenting mantras. But, instead of just thinking about them during a hard time with my kids, I typed them out, printed them and hung them all over our house.

Since that Sunday, my husband and I have both found ourselves being more patient and more compassionate toward our kids. And, in the end, solve the problems at hand much easier and without any yelling.

In case you want to do something similar, here are our mantras. Feel free to change and add as you need.

Choose love

This is not an emergency

Stop. Breathe. Love.

Lord, soften my heart.

Wesley and Drea have been entrusted to us. We must nurture and protect them.

Children do not act out just to anger you. It’s not about you, it’s about them. What do they need?

Solve the problem, don’t punish the child.

Figure out what need is not being met, and meet it.

Relationship first

You are the adult. You are the parent. Wesley and Drea act like children because they are children.

Did you mess up? Stop. Apologize and ask for a do over. It’s never too late to start over and redeem the situation.

One day, you'll walk into his empty room and give just about anything to have THIS day back, THIS day with all its exhaustion and chaos, and laughter.

Thanksgiving Traditions

Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions? For our family, we went to the desert almost every Thanksgiving to ride dirt bikes and eat turkey at a picnic table. I remember the few times we had a actual sit down semi formal Thanksgiving dinner and feeling like it was just not quite right. After going away to school and being away from family, I realized that it is not where you are, but who you are with on Thanksgiving. We as moms set the tone for the day. There are years where we are with extended family, and years where we are home with our immediate family. The one thing that remains constant is going around the table and sharing what we have been blessed with or by over the past year. A few years ago I found a project that my brother had in Kindergarten (87?) and was so thankful just to look back and see how we have been blessed. That year I took the paper with me to Colorado and read it at the dinner table. It was neat to read it to my mom, dad, and grandparents and remember together how God has blessed us twenty years later.




I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving wherever you are. We will be sharing our thanksgiving blessings in Colorado once again with parents, siblings, and cousins. It should be a time for many thanks.

Look into my Eyes

If you are a parent, you've certainly expereinced a time where you said something to your child, and you were completely ignored. It can be infuriating to repeatedly tell a child to stop hitting her fork on the table, that it's time for bath, or to please put on his shoes. Even when you are doing all of the things the experts say to do in order to increase cooperation - giving choices, making it into a game - they may still ignore you.

There can be a few reasons for this. First, they may be fully engaged in what they are doing and they actually cannot hear you. Second, they hear us talk at them all day long, so they have a tendency to tune us out. And, third, they may not want to do what you are asking, so they choose not to hear. I think we usually assume that the third reason is always the case, but it's actually not. This is where some parents can overreact and create a battle that wasn't brewing in the first place.

So, what can we do? It seems that all three of these reasons can be overcome, or at least on the way to being overcome, by properly getting the child's attention. Next time your first (or tenth) request has been ignored, try this:

1. Get down on his or her level, and in their personal space. Kids are less likely to hear us if we talk to them from across the room. Walk over to them, squat down and touch their arm.



2. Say, "____, please look at my eyes." Repeat this until they acknowledge you.



3. They may turn away or try to get away. This could mean that they really don't want to stop what they are doing, or they don't want to do what you have requested. Hold them gently or gently hold their face in your hands. Move YOUR head so that they see your eyes. Don't try to move their head. This isn't a time to overpower your child. It's a time to get their attention in a positive way.



4. Once you've made eye contact, repeat your original request. Here's where the expert advice of giving choices comes in handy. My favorite way to formulate a request is this: Empathize (Wow, you are having so much fun playing with your cars. I bet you'd like to play all day long), set limit (It's time to get our shoes on so we can go to the store), give choices (Would you like to put them on in the house, or in the car?).



5. Ideally, they keep eye contact with you during your whole request. BUT, this is really hard for a child to do (it's hard for adults too). I at least want my son to look me in the eyes when I first start talking. This shows me that I've gotten his attention and I still usually get a response. If I don't, I'll ask him again to look at my eyes and I'll repeat the whole process.

This isn't a magic bullet (nothing is, right?), but it has certainly increased my son's ability to hear me. Unless there's something else going on, like he's mad at me from something else, he's tired or hungry, then this process almost always gets results.

One more point, regarding the choices. Please note that both choices should be acceptable to both you and your child. Don't say, "Would you like to come to the store with me, or should I leave without you?" hoping to threaten your child into coming. It's possible they will choose to stay home, and then you're in a position where you can't respect their choice and must force them to come.

Sneak Those Veggies In: Two Promising Squash Recipes

We recently got a big butternut squash in our farm box, and it has been sitting in our fridge while I try to figure out a use for it. You see, no one in my family is a huge squash fan, but I didn't want to waste this veggie or the opportunity to get its nutrition into our children.

So now that I'm finally not feeling AS sick from my pregnancy (11 weeks tomorrow, yay!), I decided to find a few promising recipes for my big yellow friend.

The first, Butternut Squash Muffins With a Frosty Top is a Jamie Oliver recipe. I've heard great things about this recipe, so I knew I would need to try it. You don't even need to cook the squash ahead of time for this one, so it's a definite keeper. I'll be making them to take to school tomorrow since it's Bennett's turn to bring snack. (note: I'll use coconut oil instead of olive oil for the added health benefits. Also, I'll omit the nuts since Bennett's school is nut free!)

The second recipe is more of a gamble, but I'll try it. My husband and kids LOVE the sugary sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving, and this Baked Butternut Squash Mash seemed reminiscent enough that they just might get eaten without coaxing or bribing. :0)

So I'll be making these two recipes this week. I'll let you know how they go over, and if you make them, please share your feedback as well!

Potty Training Trials and Triumphs

The life of a toddler is full of many transitions. It starts with weaning, followed by transitioning to a big boy or big girl bed and cutting out use of a pacifier (or thumb!). All of these milestones can be challenging, but for me, one of the most intimidating transitions I faced as a new Mom was potty training. When my son was nearing the appropriate time, I dreaded it! Diapers seem like a cake-walk compared to a newly potty trained toddler!

Now, after having potty trained two kids, I figured I would share some of the things I've learned. I am definitely NO expert, but hopefully these will be helpful things to consider for those Moms who haven't gone through this transition with their child yet.

1. Every child is different!! As with anything in mothering, each child is different in their needs, learning style and the things that motivate him/her. This is also true of potty training. Each child will be ready at a different time and most likely the method you used with your first child will need to be tweaked when baby #2 comes along. Keeping an open mind is critical!!

2. Buy more underwear that you possibly think you could ever need! I don't know why I forget this every time. Both times I have only bought one little 6-pack of underwear, and sure enough one hour later, I am already doing a frantic load of laundry. You need at least a dozen pairs of underwear when you start potty training (more if you don't want to do laundry every 1-2 days). Just trust me on this one!

3. Reward for Dryness. I learned about this nugget of wisdom when I was potty training my son, and it has really served me well. This concept worked well with both of my kids. Again every child is different, but I think this is worth trying. So basically, instead of just rewarding for going potty in the toilet (which you can still do), it is awesome encouragement for your child if you periodically check for dryness and reward for that as well. After all, the goal of potty training isn't just being able to go potty in the toilet, but ultimately that your child would keep his/her pants clean and dry. So at our house, during the week or so we are potty training, I will ask my child, "Mallory, are your underwear clean and dry?" Then I have her check her underwear herself. If they are dry, I praise her for keeping her underwear clean and dry and reward her! In my opinion, this makes potty training go MUCH faster than only rewarding for dryness... the more opportunity for reward, the faster your child will get it.

4.Expect Regressions. I'm sure this is not true of every child, but it is very common for potty-trained children to regress. Both of my children have regressed after they were potty trained. For Bennett, it was a full year and half after he was potty trained. In his case, I think his regression was caused by a developmental spurt that caused him to regress in other areas. For Mallory, potty training was a breeze with very few accidents. Now, after she has been doing great for a few months, she is having accidents almost daily. I haven't really figured out the cause of her regression yet, but regardless of the cause, the solution is still the same.

First, be patient and don't worry. Just keep repeating to yourself, "This is normal. It is just a phase. It won't last forever."

Second, revert back to your potty training routine. For Bennett, it only took a few days of rewarding him for using the bathroom properly to get him back into the swing of things. For Mallory, we've started setting a timer again for every 20-30 minutes and reminding her to go potty at those times. Most of the time, just re-visiting the methods you used when you were potty training should help.

5. Most importantly... remember... Eventually they WILL get it! :0) Even if potty training isn't going well, just remind yourself that eventually, whether it takes one day or one year, they will get it. Again, this is just a phase. As my grandmother used to say, "This too shall pass." So just stick with it and hang in there!

Missing Mops?

I don't know about you all but I could really use a Mops night tonight. Oh well, next week we get to get together, enjoy yummy food, and make a fabulous craft. Want a sneak peek???



more???




Have a terrific week and see you next Tuesday!

Snack Tray Trick

I've recently started using a trick that our good friend Casey mentioned on her blog a few months back, and I wanted to share it. If you have a child who snacks a lot or is picky about snacks, and you want to get some good options in front of them, run (don't walk) to your baking supplies and pull out a muffin tin. Then, in the morning, put an array of fruits, veggies, proteins and carbs in the cups and watch your child's eyes light up. During the day, whenever they ask for a snack, pull out the tray.

A few great things are accomplished with the snack tray. First, you can see that your child is eating a variety of foods, and getting in their daily quota of fruits and veggies. Second, even if you put something in there that they don't eat, you are still exposing them to that item (without trying to force them to eat it) and raising the chances of them eating it in the future. And, third, these are snacks that you don't mind your child filling up on. I can't tell you how many times Wesley wants to eat a snack 15 minutes before a meal. Now, instead of telling him to wait, I just pull out the tray because these are foods I would serve with his meal anyway.

Some ideas for your snack tray:

Fruits:

Strawberries

Grapes

Orange sections

Banana pieces

Dried fruit

Blueberries

Veggies:

Carrot sticks

Grape tomatoes

Celery sticks

Frozen peas

Protein:

Deli meat

Cheese cubes

Hardboiled egg

Edemame

Nuts & trail mix

Carbs:

Cereal

Crackers

Pirate Booty

Popcorn

What other items would you put in a snack tray? How do you make sure your child eats a variety of snacks throughout the day?

Homemade Sidewalk Paint

This has become a go-to activity for me since I discovered how ridiculously easy it is. It literally takes about 30 seconds to whip up, and we're quickly outside painting away.

First, grab a muffin tin. Add a little bit of corn starch (I don't measure. Just eyeball it).

Next, add a touch of water and mix it up.

Drop in some food coloring.

Mix that together to make your colors.

Now all that's left to do is grab some old paint brushes and find a sidewalk to paint!

Do you have any easy activities that your kids love?

One of those weeks

Do you ever feel like it is just one of those days? You wake up not feeling fully rested, your kids are grumpy, and you just go throughout the day without any patience. That has been my week it seems. All week I have had a mental to do list, including a post here, but as you see it is Saturday night and here I sit. Maybe that is why I was so drawn to Mops three and a half years ago. I was a recently new full time working mother. I was trying to balance it all, my home, teaching full time, taking care of my daughter, and feeling very alone while doing so. For me, Mops became a place where I could talk with other working moms and be assured that I was doing the right thing for my family at that time. Our theme this year of MomSense: Bold • Loving • Sensible – equips moms to embrace their mothering instincts and develop their own parenting style while navigating through the myriad of daily mom decisions, reminded me that yes, I might have a rough week, and yes, our family might be different than my friends, but we are all doing what is best for our own kids. Now that I stay home, there are all new pressures, issues, and difficulties, but I honestly love every minute of my chaotic week. Just for a good reminder I watched Anita Renfroe's Mom video and thought others might like it as well.







I hope that on Tuesday nights you are able to sit, have meaningful conversation, and feel a part of a community of moms who support and love you for who you are.

Ready, Set, Play!

Yesterday I posted a blog article in which the author encourages us to connect with our kids daily. Yes, that can mean a myriad of things, but sometimes what our kids need to connect with us is not what we would normally think. You can play trains, talk about his day, paint her toenails, and that will all help. But, I'm finding that the absolute best way to connect with kids is physical play.

Try this: if you have a task that you need your child to complete, but is normally a huge chore (i.e. changing clothes, brushing teeth, getting in the carseat), spend 10 minutes purely playing with them physically. Not quiet, brushing-a-doll's-hair kind of play, but running, chasing, tickling (if they like being tickled) kind of play. Then, try that task. I have found a HUGE difference in Wesley's cooperativeness after spending a few minutes playing.

Can't think of ways to play? Here are some fun ideas:
1. Chase - Just start saying "I'm gonna catch you" and run after them. But, make sure you bumble a lot and let them get away. Only catch them if they obviously stop and want to be caught. A lot of these games allow kids to get the upper hand. They are so powerless for most of their day, these games give them the opportunity to be strong and fast. (This is why you only tickle a kid who asks to be tickled. Tickling can cause kids to feel powerless, which is NOT what you want from playtime.) So, as you chase, say "You're too fast for me!" or "He's so strong!" They'll also love to see you take a big comedic fall and run into walls.

2. Hide and Seek - even toddlers can understand the concept of this game. And, when they find you, you can jump out and start chasing them.

3. Fix game - this is a variation on plain old chase. While you run after your child, say, "I've got to get my Wesley fix! I'm going to cover you with kisses!" They'll know for sure that you love them when you grab them and kiss them all over, then let them get away and start all over.

4. Pillow fight - this is such a great way to get out any pent up aggression. If you have a child who has a hard time not hitting, this is the game for them. They can hit to their heart's content, but in a safe and loving way. This is also a great way to create sibling bonds, by having them gang up against you. At the end, you collapse under their pillows and surrender to their superior pillow fighting abilities.

5. All powerful toy - Say your child is holding something and you want to start playing. Suddenly, pretend like that item frightens you and that it gives him the power to make you run away and hide. They LOVE watching their parents run from them, and will hold the toy up to make it happen. You can climb on beds, hide in closets or under tables, and they will be overjoyed at what they are making mom do!

The goal of all of these games is to get giggles. Once you have them giggling, you're on the right track. These games quickly become favorites, and although it takes some effort up front, it will save you lots of time in the end.

Special Time

I am re-posting this from Aha! Parenting, a parenting blog that I follow. It is just a good reminder to take that time to connect with your kids, no matter how busy life gets. I hope some of the thoughts from this article help you to slow down this week and spend real quality time with your little ones. (Taken from here.)

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"Some nights I look in on our sleeping children before I go to bed. I watch their softly tousled heads slumbering on their pillows, and sadness wells up in me. Have I drunk in their smiles and laughter and hugged them, or have I just checked things off my to-do list today? They're growing so quickly. One morning I may wake up and one of my girls will be getting married, and I'll worry: Have I played with them enough? Have I enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of their lives?" -- Janet Fackrell

You know that spending daily special time with each child is a really good idea. But playing with your child, snuggling on the couch, really listening to his story about how he plans to dismantle the jungle gym tomorrow while the girls are climbing on it -- you just don't have time, right? Squeezing "special time" with each child into our hectic daily schedules seems impossible.

After all, you have to get dinner on the table and get everyone fed and bathed and the dishes done and lunches made for the morning and fold the clothes and then he gets out of bed again wanting another drink of water and you still need to return that phone call and pay that bill......the list is endless.

And yet, children who feel connected to us are much more likely to cooperate. So much less struggle, frustration, argument. Life becomes smoother. You get out of the discipline business. They even separate from you more easily at bedtime. Maybe you can't afford NOT to put daily special time on the list.

Besides, your list is infinite. But your child is not. As the mother of two teenagers, I can tell you that the cliche is true. Your child will be grown and gone before you know it.

The good news is, kids who feel cherished and connected are likely to stay connected once they're launched into their own lives. When you ask them for special time, they're likely to squeeze you in.

Being the Coach, not the Referee

There are a number of parent/child metaphors that I have heard over the years, usually to help understand the world of a child. One interesting one is to think of your child as an alien from another planet. They know nothing of our culture, our language, our rules, or our expectations. So, we must show them, with patience, how to live and thrive on this planet. It is actually a pretty appropriate metaphor.

But, the one that has stuck with me , is the coach/player metaphor. If you think of yourself as a coach for your child, instead of their referee, you may find yourself being more empathetic and effective. The coach comes along side the player; the referee blows a whistle in their face. The coach demonstrates how the game is played, giving them tips on the best way to dunk or pitch; the referee points out the fouls and has no room for mercy. The best coaches were players themselves, and so they speak from a place of experience and empathy. They don't just hand out punishments for poor playing, they admonish and then show the correct way. In fact, they may have to do this multiple times for the same mistakes.

A coach does not just tell a player what they are doing wrong. They then show them the right way to do it. Your child is angry and hits you. Yes, that's wrong, you should point that out. But, what should he have done with that anger instead? He has the emotion (and it's not wrong to be angry), but still needs to be coached on how to deal with it. Perhaps he could hit a pillow instead? Or go outside and yell? Or throw a stuffed animal at the wall? He needs ways to channel his emotions healthily, and we are the ones to teach him how.

Some other instances might be:

"I see you want to throw. We don't throw hard things like toys because they can break or hurt people. But, you can throw a ball outside."
"The tablecloth is not for cutting. Here's some paper to cut instead."
"It looks like you are in the mood to tear something up. But, tearing up a book means we can't read it anymore. How about if we find a newspaper to tear?"

The desires to throw, cut, and tear are real desires (not to mention important dexterity milestones). Instead of just saying, "NO!" How about giving them an alternative so they can express their needs correctly?

A coach does more than tell his players what to do. He also shows them. We are constantly modeling our behavior for our child, whether we like it or not. In the example from above, how you deal with anger will inform your child of how to deal with his anger. Do you yell at people? Do you hit or throw things? Or, do you give yourself some space, take some deep breaths, perhaps scream into a pillow, and then go back and deal with the situation?

Finally, a coach sticks up for his players. A coach understands where they are coming from, even if they aren't playing well. They might see that a player needs a break or some electrolytes (am I stretching my metaphor too far?). A parent sees the heart of the child. Their intention, their emotional needs. Not just the behavior that is the end result. So they may see that the child needs a snack, some extra attention, some space to run around and be wild, or a big hug. A referee parent calls fouls and deals out punishment. A coach parent sets loving limits, models correct behavior, and empathizes.

Which parent are you?

Kid-friendly computer stuff

Isn't it strange to think our kids will never know a life without computers and technology inundation? It's crazy to me that my 2 year old can work my husband's iPad better than I can. All of this technology stuff is going to come pretty naturally to most of our kids (whether we like it or not).

Here are some of my favorite websites for my kids. Feel free to comment and add your own, including iPhone and iPad apps!

Starfall - with ABCs, phonics, easy-to-read stories, and games, Starfall is a great "starter" website. It's where two of my kids have learned how to use the mouse (in the ABC section, where there's a flashing arrow to click on most pages). My 6 year old still plays around on this site from time to time.

PBS Kids - I'm pretty sure my 4 year old learned her letters this summer from Super Why. (That isn't terrible of me, right?) My 6 year old likes Prankster Planet, which has some math involved.

Khan Academy - while this site is geared toward slightly older children (and adults), I still must mention it. Khan Academy began as a group of math explanation videos, and it has turned into a treasure trove of hundreds of great educational/explanation videos, including addition and subtraction, algebra, calculus, economics, government/civics, biology, and more.

What are your favorites?

Plenty of Playdough!

There are a million playdough recipes out there, but I have to plug one that Wesley and I have been using a lot lately. This recipe calls for a little bit of cooking, but the benefit is that the final result does not have to be refrigerated. Also, I found that making our own playdough has allowed me to relax about mixing the colors and ending up with a bunch of mottled brown stuff. Hey, we just make more! It's also a fun way for kids to learn about which primary colors can mix together to make new colors (though, be aware - blue and red may not make purple. In my case, they made grey). Not to mention, this is WAY cheaper than the store bought stuff.

Most of the ingredients should be in your kitchen, or easy to find on your next Target or grocery store trip.

You'll need: 1 cup white flour, 1/2 cup salt, 2 tablespoons cream of tartar (look in the spice aisle), 1 tablespoon oil, 1 cup of water (not shown), and food colors. My recipe (courtesy of a local pre-school art teacher) also says that you can add extracts for scent. However, we haven't tried this because, a) playdough is already tempting enough to eat, and b) I suspect many of my extracts could be harmful to skin. But, if you have some cheap vanilla or almond extract and want to try it out, add it in when you mix in the food colors.

First, find your favorite helper to add all of the dry ingredients to a pot.

Little ones can dump ingredients in...

pour salt into a cup, and do a lot of stirring.

Once you have your dry ingredients in, add your oil, give it a stir and then add the water. Stir it up so it's not too lumpy. You'll be doing a lot of stirring when you add the colors, so don't stress too much about the lumps at this point (but, you'll want it relatively lump-free when you turn on the heat).



Now for the fun part - adding colors. In my experience, you'll need lots of color to get it as dark as you want. It will darken a bit once heated, but don't worry about putting in too much color. Let the kids go wild! (In fact, I'd recommend letting them add whatever colors they want, even if it ends up being a nasty brown. They'll learn a lot about colors, and it will be much more fun for all of you. If you're dying to have a nice pure blue, make up a batch during naptime. Now is not the time to be controlling.)


Now for the strictly mama part - turn the heat on to medium and start stirring. You'll want to stir continuously for 3-5 minutes. The playdough will quickly go from something that looks like weird pancake batter to...

something that looks like slime from "You Can't Do That on Television," to...



something that looks like really lumpy, sticky mashed potatoes, to...


something that looks like it was thrown up by a dog, to...



something that looks like playdough!





Turn it out and knead it for about 5 minutes. It will be very hot, so make sure little hands are patient.



Now all that you need to do is find some cookie cutters, a butter knife and some other random household objects to mash into your newly created playdough. Have fun!

Have any fun play doh recipes or crafts to share? Post them in the comments!

The Power of Puppets

I am sure I'm not the only mother who struggles with a toddler who says "no" to everything.

"Let's put your shoes on." "No!"
"Do you want oatmeal for breakfast or eggs?" "No!"
(Me placing his stool next to the counter.) "NOOOO!!!!"

I'm often completely confounded by his "no"s, and even more often at a loss to get him to do the things he needs to do. It's one thing when he says "no" to playing with a particular toy, but completely different when it's getting into bed or putting clothes on.

Then one day, he was playing with Percy (if you don't know who Percy is, your child is not into trains), and I decided to have Percy "talk" to him. At first, it was just pretend play. But then I realized that Percy could get my little man to do just about anything. Including walking to his bedroom, climbing into bed and picking out a book. Percy, in a stroke of genius, even read his books to him and then (get this), got too tired and had to go to sleep. There was no "read it again, mom" because Percy was the one who was reading and he had decided to go to sleep.

Now, it's not fool proof, but using a "puppet" to do your talking for you, can be magical. First, your child will perceive that you are playing with them. In fact, I recommend that you do start out by playing with them, not just pick up a toy and start barking orders. Unless he's not in a good mood, he will likely be smiling and conversing back with his new friend. Second, you will find yourself being livelier and more creative when you are speaking to your child through another character. This character is not your child's mother, but his friend. So he says and suggests things that a friend might, albeit a friend who is trying to get your child to do what you want. I find myself being funnier, more energetic, and not nearly as pushy when I'm speaking to my son through one of his toys.

So, next time you're coming up to a task that is normally a struggle, try it out. Pick up a stuffed animal or toy car and start a conversation. You might be surprised at yourself and your suddenly coorperative child.

MOPS Fall Schedule 2011

Here is the schedule for the fall semester. (Just click to enlarge.)

Game On!

Welcome Back, MOPS Mamas!

We trust you had a great summer enjoying time with your families. Now it's time to dive back into MOPS with our new theme for 2011-12... MomSense.

Here's what MOPS international has to say about this year's theme:

MomSense: Bold • Loving • Sensible– equips moms to embrace their mothering instincts and develop their own parenting style while navigating through the myriad of daily mom decisions.

Most women wonder:

How do I decide what to do when I really don’t know what to do?

Should I trust my intuition?

With so much available information, how do I discern what’s best?

What are the most important family values?

Developing a mothering strategy is somewhat like playing a game — and this year’s theme is appropriately game related. Have fun being a mom! Playing games involves being bold and taking risks, loving those in the game with us and being sensible while figuring out what works and what doesn't.

Just as in real-life, sometimes in games, unexpected, “chance” events occur, abruptly changing our paths. We must regroup and determine our next steps. Sometimes we follow the instructions of “experts.” Sometimes we follow the advice of trusted friends. Sometimes we decide our “house rules” work best for our family. Teaming together with other moms is a great strategy. Relying on a spouse or mentor can help us play more effectively. And, most of all, developing a strong God-Sense is essential for mothering.

Growing as a mom through the analogy of game playing assures every mom gains confidence in her abilities as a mom. Combining her mom intuition and her common sense helps a woman discover her own unique MomSense.

(Mom Intuition + Common Sense = MomSense)

As you can see, we have a great year in store for us in MOPS this year! Please join us for our first MOPS meeting on Sept. 13 from 7pm - 9pm. At this first meeting you can connect with your fellow MOPS Mamas and Mentor Moms, enjoy delicious food (appetizers, coffee and dessert), receive schedules and information for this semester of MOPS, and get a little better acquainted with this year's theme. Don't miss this awesome kickoff to our year together.

If you haven't registered for MOPS yet, please do so by clicking this link and filling out your registration form. It really helps us plan if we know how many Mamas we are expecting!

Finally, your MOPS Steering Team is here to serve you and help you feel connected to the group. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to make MOPS a better, more uplifting experience for you!

Sincerely,

Your 2011-12 MOPS Steering Team