Moms with young children at home can often feel lonely. While they have almost constant contact with other humans—their child(ren)—they can still long for meaningful connections. But most moms with young children will tell you that it’s difficult to make connections with adults—even other moms. It can feel awkward to strike up a conversation at the park or in the pediatrician’s office, and even if they manage to do so, these conversations can easily get interrupted by a crying baby or a needy toddler.
Fortunately, for Temecula moms with young children, there’s a place they can go to find other women in the same season of life who are also looking for friendship and a sense of belonging. Sunridge Church hosts a Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group in Temecula for mothers with children ages birth to Kindergarten. The group meets two times a month for two full hours on the church’s Temecula campus, and childcare is available for those who need it. The childcare facilities are safe, fun, and age appropriate. Children are cared for by individuals who have been well trained and who have gone through a background check.
At the meetings, women gather in small groups to enjoy a delicious brunch together, hear a speaker, and do a craft. Engaging speakers discuss relevant topics such as parenting, cooking, budgeting, friendship, and more. There is also plenty of time for women get to know the other ladies in their small groups, as well as those in other groups.
When a new woman joins MOPS at Sunridge, she is placed in a small group with other moms in her same season of life, as well as with a group leader who will facilitate any group discussions and plan outside events. The groups stay the same for an entire semester, so group members can forge strong connections over several months.
MOPS is not just for those who regularly attend Sunridge Church on Sundays. It’s not even exclusively for Christian women. Any mother with young children is welcome to join! New sessions typically start in September and January. There is a fee to join, but partial scholarships, as well as payment plans, are available.
There’s more good news for mothers in Temecula: once a child graduates Kindergarten, there is still a way to connect with other women on the parenting journey! Sunridge Church also offers a MOMSnext program, which is open to women with children in elementary school, all the way through high school.
As the Sunridge Church website states on their MOPS information page, “This life was not meant to be lived alone.” Stepping out and joining a group like MOPS can be just the thing a young mother needs to make friendships and connections that could last a lifetime!
