Managing a Mothers' Group

How to Run Mums’ Groups Successfully

Aug 8, 2009 Wei Yin Wong

A successful mothers' group should have reliable coordinators, a warm and friendly atmosphere, a calendar of events, its own group rules and a safe place for kids.

Once a mothers’ group has been created, its founder and members need to make it work. Depending on its size, the mum’s group must have enough resources and engaging activities to keep it running successfully. Here are some useful tips for managing a mothers’ group.

Choose Reliable Group Coordinators

This is crucial for big groups with more than 10 parent members. These coordinators will need to pick the meeting location, develop topics of discussions, provide craft and coloring materials for kids and prepare healthy snacks and drinks for everyone. Coordinators are also responsible for sending out reminders to group members about the next meeting or any exciting upcoming event. If the group is small, say with only four to five parent members, everyone can take turns organizing the meeting and having it in her own home.

Warm and Friendly Mothers’ Group

When a group has just been started, get everyone to introduce herself and her children. Some new members may not warm up quickly to their new surrounding. So make the effort to make everyone feel welcome. Include everyone in any discussion. Ask the more introvert mums about their families, children, kids’ schools, hobbies and interests. A warm and friendly mothers’ group is more likely to keep its members.

Calendar of Events and Activities for Mums and Kids

While a small mothers’ group can do well with just informal meetings regularly, a bigger one will need more structured and organized activities. A big parents’ group should have a calendar of events and activities for the next four to six months. Talks given by parenting experts; field trips to the zoo, aquarium, museum and art galleries; birthday parties and weekly night out for mums are just some of the events to put on the calendar.

Group Rules and Practices

In a bigger parents’ group, parents and kids from different backgrounds and lifestyles will mingle and play together. There will be times when someone disagrees with someone else and things can and will get a bit difficult when kids are involved. Develop rules and practices on how to manage situations when the children fight, refuse to share or throw tantrums. Parents should also avoid comparing their children and refrain from imposing their ideas on others. Set these rules so that there are no hard feelings in awkward situations.

Safe and Fun Place for Kids when Mums Meet

No matter what the meeting location is – somebody’s backyard, the playground, a café, the community hall or the library – make sure the place is safe and fun for the kids when their mums get together.

If the mums will be busy cooking some new recipes in the kitchen, someone should be in charge of watching the kids and keeping the kids amused with their own fun activities. Never leave children unsupervised. If going to the playground, make sure playground equipment are safe for use before letting the kids play. If the meeting place is a restaurant, teach the children not to run around and mind their manners.

Good management is essential for any mothers’ group to run smoothly. Reliable coordinators, a warm and friendly atmosphere, a calendar of events for parents and kids, group rules and practices as well as safe and fun environments for kids when their parents meet will help ensure the group’s success.

Found this article useful? Read also Starting a Mothers’ Group, Making Mothers’ Groups Work for New Mothers and Alternatives to Mothers’ Groups.

References:

MomsRising Website – Start Your Own Group

MomsMeet Website – Start a Mom’s Group

The copyright of the article Managing a Mothers' Group in Stay-at-Home Parents is owned by Wei Yin Wong. Permission to republish Managing a Mothers' Group in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

A Mothers' Group should be Warm, Friendly and Safe