Organization hopes to help mothers
ROSCOE – A new organization hopes to give mothers a place to meet and help each other through the difficulties of raising children. Michele Hartle, a mother of two small children, recently organized Roscoe Area Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS), a non-denominational Christian organization that welcomes mothers of all backgrounds to participate in their meetings. Hartle said that although the meetings are held at Roscoe Presbyterian Church, any woman from the area with children age 5 or younger is invited to attend.
Hartle said the topic for September is patience, and the women at Wednesday’s meeting discussed ways of being more patient with their families while they enjoyed cake and other refreshments.
Hartle said that for some of the food, the group decided to go with orange flavors to reflect a theme for the evening.
“It takes a long time to peel an orange when your 3-year-old is screaming for it,” said Hartle.
This was one of her examples about times when it may be difficult to have patience with a child.
As the discussion got under way, Hartle asked about how tough it is for parents to get their small children to clean up their own messes, which led all the women to share their complaints about other family members and friends who aren’t able to sympathize with how difficult that task can be.
“Kids pick it up when mom doesn’t have patience,” said local mother Carrie Armstrong, who talked about how her young son carefully scrutinizes everything she does. “I have to pray for patience sometimes, because when people laugh at your problems or don’t understand, it only fuels your anger.”
Hartle said it is important not to have the wrong attitude with small children, but to let them know there is an immediate and consistent consequence for every time they do not do what they are told.
Other conversation topics for the evening included television shows that children should and should not watch, dealing with children who have hyperactivity disorders or other problems, and the importance of taking one’s role as a parent seriously.
“I don’t know why parents try to be their kids’ best friend,” said Armstrong. “They need to be parents. You are their parent before you are their friend.”
The group heard relaxation tips to help them deal with the stress of taking care of small children, such as taking a few minutes just to breathe, calling a friend, and using children’s nap time as time for themselves.
The MOPS newsletter suggested that mothers re-establish time alone with their mates as a stress relief tip. It said that although a “date night” might sound too formal, just putting the kids to bed an hour early and eating store-bought pizza while watching television can help make the relationship a priority.
Next month’s plans for MOPS include learning about goodness, and mothers can learn more about proper nutrition for themselves and their kids, and swap recipes. On Oct. 20, MOPS will hold a fall festival, where, Hartle said, both children and their parents will have fun.
Refreshments are available at every meeting. Volunteers take care of the children while the mothers relax and learn together. The meetings take place every other Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m., and Hartle said anyone interested can come to a meeting to register.
For more information, call Hartle at 724-938-3703 or visit www.mops.org to find out the nearest MOPS chapter.