The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

Sherry: I hear from women around the world who say that their experience in MOPS saved their marriage because it gave them the perspective and the hope to not just give up and walk away. I hear them say that MOPS caused them to be a better mom, to be able to have that perspective and take a deep breath before you overreact with your child. They lean into another woman to talk about the depression, the frustration, the isolation, and to get a Godly perspective.

TOS: What do you love the most about MOPS?

Sherry: Research has shown that the “preschool stage” of a child’s development is the time of life when a mother will be the most frustrated or experience the most depression, the most isolation. Therefore, we focus on ministering to the needs of moms of preschoolers. It’s hard to find a moment when your preschoolers are not talking to you or yammering at you, and it’s really hard to get a moment alone away from them because they’re not taking long naps.

We aim at that stage of life because
research has shown that if a mom will
partake in those types of activities [so-
cial and mentoring situations], it will
definitely impact her life. Moms are
lonely at that stage, so they’ll come to a
MOPS group just looking for a friend,

Being a mom is the
most influential
thing you can do in
the world . . . .

just looking for someone to talk to, but
within that, due to conversations and
the resources we provide for the group,
they realize something much, much big-
ger: They realize that there’s a God out
there Who loves them. He loves them so
much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ
to die for them, and many women have
said, “That’s where I began my relation-
ship with Jesus Christ.” Then their fam-
ily started coming to church, and their
children became involved in the church’s
children’s ministry. It literally changed
the trajectory of their family. When I
hear stories like that, that’s when I know:
MOPS matters.

Kendra Fletcher is the homeschooling mother of eight, aged 19 down to 4. She has never known what it means to homeschool without the presence of preschoolers and loves to encourage other moms who are beginning their homeschool journeys with little ones underfoot. Kendra reviews for the TOS Homeschool Crew and is the author of a popular E-Book about creating a Circle Time for your homeschool. Her website and blog can be found at www.preschoolersandpeace.com. Visit mops .org to learn more and to locate a MOPS group near you.