Starting a Mothers' Group

How to Create New Mums’ Groups

Aug 8, 2009 Wei Yin Wong

Create new mothers' groups by talking to other mums, choosing a theme for the group, advertising the new group and using existing Internet resources.

Adult interaction for stay-at-home mums is important and there’s no better way to have it than through a mothers’ group. Just visit the local baby health clinic, community center, library or breastfeeding association to check out existing mothers’ groups.

However, if there isn’t a suitable one, why not consider starting a new mothers’ group? It does take a bit of time and planning but if it runs smoothly, it will benefit both parents and children who feel a sense of community there. Here are some tips to create new mums’ groups.

Potential Places to Meet other Mothers

First, think about places that parents and children spend a lot of time at – baby health clinics, toy libraries, baby gyms, playgrounds, schools, etc. Don’t forget parents in the same neighborhood. Befriend and talk to the parents there. Find out if anyone is keen on joining a new mothers’ group and what kind of activities they expect from the group. Exchange phone numbers and email addresses with them. Keep track on interested mums through the use of an email list. This will make communication a lot easier.

Choose a Theme for the New Mothers’ Group

Different parents will feel at home in different types of groups. Ideas are aplenty. How about a group for cooking mums, Jane Austen fans, story-telling with tots, song-and-dance, pregnancy and birth, money and finance, celebrity gossip or even a group for grandparents? Get feedback from the mums in the email list and choose a theme for the new mothers’ group.

Advertise the New Mums’ Group

Once a theme has been chosen, spread the word about the new group. Put up posters and fliers on the notice boards of the local community center, library or baby health clinic. Contact the local newspaper and place an advertisement there. Many local papers give free advertisements to social and support groups. Make use of that.

Choose Group Coordinator

Once a group is formed, choose a group coordinator. Often, the person who initiates starting a new parents’ group will have this job. But if the group is big, there will be a need to have a couple more coordinators in charge of picking the meeting location, planning activities, preparing snacks and sending out reminders for the next meeting.

Use Existing Internet Resources to Start a new Parents’ Group

The Internet is filled with useful and convenient resources for many things, including creating and managing new mothers’ groups. Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) Australia, for instance, has the facility to help parents start their own new groups. Another useful website that allows mothers from all over Australia to join existing groups or create and manage new ones is MothersGroup.

Mothers who yearn for the company of other mums but don’t fit in the existing mothers’ groups can start their own groups. To create a new mums’ group, meet and talk to other parents, choose a theme for the group, advertise the new group through various channels, select a group coordinator and use resources provided by online mothers’ groups.

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

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

Mothers' Groups Help Parents and Children