In 1973 eight mothers in Colorado started meeting for two hours each week, to talk, laugh, eat, enjoy a craft project, or listen to a guest speakers. That impromptu group eventually blossomed into Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS), an international organization that is now coming to Plainsboro.
MOPS brings together women to share the joys, frustrations, insecurities, and day-to-day worries of raising a family, while their small children are cared for nearby.
The newest area MOPS group will hold an open house at Princeton Alliance Church in Plainsboro, Saturday, November 5, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will feature music by Miss Amy and the Big Kids Band, demonstrations by Stroller Strides and the Little Gym, a pizza party with a cast of characters, and other family activities.
According to the MOPS International website (www.mops.com), there are 14.3 million mothers of pre-school children in the U.S. alone. The 3,”600 chartered MOPS groups worldwide exist to “mother” the mothers, by easing the isolation and loneliness that can accompany the early years of motherhood.
Sponsored by churches of many different Christian denominations, MOPS provides resources that include regular meetings, a mentoring program matching new moms with older moms, a website and magazine, and a national convention that attracts 25,”000 moms annually.
According to Sharon Vogel, director of pre-school ministry at Princeton Alliance, the kick-off event is designed not only to promote the newest MOPS group, but to provide a fun community event that the entire family can attend together.
Vogel lives in Princeton Junction with her husband Brian, who is director of sales for a software company, their daughter Avery, 7; and sons Sebastian 3, and Dempsey, 2. She graduated from Rowan University with a BA in journalism and obtained a Masters in literature from the College of New Jersey in 1999. Vogel grew up in Blackwood, where her mother Diane is a homemaker, and her father Robert is a computer analyst.
Because West Windsor is such a transient area with friends and neighbors constantly arriving and leaving, a new mother can quickly become isolated. Vogel speaks from experience when she says, “As a new mom, whether you’re in the home or working, you need an outlet where you can talk with other moms. When my daughter was small, I belonged to a similar program and it was really the stress reliever that I needed.
“I’m still friends with people I met there. I remember attending a potty training seminar and learning sibling rivalry information that I now use everyday.”
Vogel found MOPS on the Internet after receiving many calls from new moms looking for just such a program. “The MOPS program provides a full educational curriculum for pre-school children and allows them to be with other children where they interact and play games. You won’t feel guilty for putting your child in the ‘moppetts’ program for a few hours, because you’re both benefiting and you’ll be a better mom for it,” says Vogel.
“Moppetts” are cared for by a mix of paid babysitters and mothers who volunteer. The program follows state guidelines requiring a certain ratio of adults to children based on the child’s age, and a background check for every adult.
When it came time to find someone to lead MOPS, Vogel asked church member Laurie Kuuskvere to develop and run the program. Kuuskvere, a resident of Lawrenceville and mother of 17-month-old son Ryan, agreed. Married to husband Steven, a senior vice president for an insurance company, Kuuskvere graduated from Hollins College in Virginia with a B.S. in biology and chemistry, and is currently pursuing an MBA at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
“As the MOPS coordinator,” says Kuuskvere, “I’m the program director and I lead a steering committee of eight others. Although I only have a few select volunteers right now, the ‘moppettes’ curriculum is part of a turnkey program designed by MOPS International. It’s structured but flexible and includes not only age-appropriate educational instruction, but fun activities like puppet shows and music and gym classes.”
The program will begin meeting just two days per month, lasting two hours each. “We’ll nail down exact details based on a survey, that will be available at the open house, asking which days and hours work best for moms, because we really want to listen to, and serve, our membership’s needs. Perhaps one class will be held in the late morning, and the next one in the early afternoon.”
The population of children the program serves ranges from birth up to, and including, kindergarten. Because the program is non-profit and receives its funding through the church, attendance is free.
Both Kuuskvere and Vogel agree that the program will meet a variety of needs for both children and mothers. Moms will enjoy guest speakers such as pediatricians or nurse practitioners, who might answer common questions about childhood development, or perhaps immunizations. Another visitor may teach relaxation techniques or lead a yoga or postnatal fitness class. But perhaps the most important ingredient is the discussion group — where mothers who are feeling overwhelmed or suffering with postpartum depression can obtain invaluable peer support.
Says Kuuskvere: “We want to make sure everyone can come and feel welcome and comfortable. I work part-time in corporate America and I know there is no job harder than being a mom. But, then again — this is much more rewarding than corporate America.”
— Fran Ianacone
Open House, MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), Princeton Alliance Church, 20 Schalks Crossing Road, Plainsboro. Saturday, November 5, 10 a.m. 609-799-9000.
