Support group mentors moms of young children

By Dijon Rolle, USAG Baden-Wuerttemberg Public AffairsNovember 22, 2010

Support group mentors moms of young children
Kellie Taylor and her 3-year-old son, enjoy a little playtime before Taylor attends a Mothers of Preschoolers meeting. The Mark Twain Village MOPS group meets bi-weekly at the MTV chapel in Heidelberg, Germany and provides free childcare to members d... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

HEIDELBERG, Germany -Denise Narramore was busy carrying in the last few items from her son's stroller, all while toting large bottles of juice, a diaper bag and a tiny pair of pants and shoes for her son, a balancing act that's become second-nature for the mother of three.

Narramore is the chair of the hospitality steering committee for Mothers of Preschoolers. The group meets on Wednesdays at the Mark Twain Village Chapel in Heidelberg.

MOPS is a Christian based non-profit organization and support group for mothers of infants through kindergarten.

The group provides members with an outlet to share their experiences, ask questions and gather valuable tools to balance the demands of being a mother.

Today Narramore was on her way to prepare the meeting room upstairs. She expertly spread table clothes, arranged chairs and neatly stacked plates and utensils. A small table in the back awaited coffee cake, a sausage frittata, a cheese and cracker plate, fresh fruit and homemade apple pie - all donated from group members.

"I actually tell my kids it's my mommy play group. They have their play groups and this is my play group," Narramore laughed. "It gives you a break and it gives you a chance to revitalize yourself. MOPS is good because it puts the focus back on mom. Sometimes we lose ourselves when we have lots of little children or even just one. You can lose your identity sometimes. You're not Denise anymore, you're Edward's mom. Your interests or activities get pushed aside."

Narramore said she joined the group to connect with other mothers such as herself and to have a source of support during her husband's deployment.

The MTV group started about three years ago and currently has about 45 registered members. It falls under MOPS International.

"Our primary function is to help our members grow in their roles as moms, women and leaders," said Jane Gargett, MTV MOPS President and mother to three-year old Brennan.

"Our motto is, 'No mom alone.' Especially over here it's really important to have a network because it does take a village to raise a kid, and when you don't have your family or close friends around, you have to create a new village and that's what we do for each other," she said. "Better moms make a better world and we're raising the next generation. The better job we do, the better job they'll do."

MOPS members receive free supervised child care during the meetings so moms can focus on interacting with each other and participating in their own activities.

This support factor and camaraderie can be especially important for mothers living overseas.

"Women in the states will frequently have family close by and MOPS can be sisters to one another and we can take care of each other when we're far away from our families," said Jeanne Longmuir, mentor mom and MOPS International Area developer for Europe.

"When mom is happy everybody is happy. MOPS helps to strengthen the mom to strengthen the family and it's a great support," Longmuir said.

The first MOPS group began in 1973 in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and in 1988 MOPS International, Inc. was formed to reach mothers overseas.

MTV MOPS meets the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at the MTV chapel in Heidelberg.

Visit www.mops.org.com and www.facebook.com/MOPS.Int. for more information on the organization.