I have some news for you.
YOU ARE NOT A BAD PARENT.
You might feel like you have made every mistake in the world with your child. You might wonder how you could have prevented your child from doing such and such embarrassing action. You might feel like you could have handled certain aspects of your parenting so much differently.
You’re not alone.
This was the underlying message at the Santa Rosa MOPS meeting on Friday, October 8th when they opened up discussion with a panel of “Mentor Moms” – answering the juiciest and most burning questions that “new” and “experienced” moms had about every single aspect of being a mom. Questions like, “How do you get in the mood when you have small children constantly wrapped around your ankles?” Or like, “How do you deal with a stubborn 2 year old?” And even like, “What’s the best way to handle a child who prefers one parent over the other?” The group of 20 or so women became quite comfortable opening up about things they wondered about, and offering advice to other moms about what had worked for them. The “Mom Mentors” started out as the experts who had been there, done that. But soon, the room was full of advice as each mom shared their own experiences in certain scenarios, and how they could relate to what others were feeling.
Frankly, it felt good to be in a room full of women who understood.
MOPS stands for “Mothers of Preschoolers”. The group is made up mostly of moms of youngsters, but several moms had graduated from that title and were still an active part of the group. As the mom of a 9 and 12 year old, even I felt completely comfortable within this group, and look forward to future meetings.
Their next meeting is Friday November 12th, from 9:15am – 11am at 3300 Sonoma Ave (the church on the corner of Yulupa Ave and Sonoma Ave). They will be hosting a Shopping Extravaganza where they can buy gifts and fun stuff at the various booths set up at the event. By the way, they are also looking for momprenuers who would love to take part in this event. For only $25, you can set up your own booth to sell items from your home-based business. Space is limited, so contact Maureen Vaillancourt at Maureen @ gtiplants.com (no spaces) for more information. At this event, they will also be offering a demonstration on fancy gift wrapping on a budget – something we can all learn from as the holidays come closer!
If you’re a mom of a preschooler, or even an experienced mom like me, I highly encourage you to check out this fun group. “Like” them on Facebook for more information about them: facebook.com/santarosamops
For more MOPS groups in the area (and there are several) check out the MOPS website and look for a location near you.
Wine Country Mom 
This group does not come up when searching for a grop on the MOPS website. I was informed by another mother a few years ago in order to attend the MOPS meetings at this church, you must be a member of that church. Non-members were not welcomed.
I actually asked one of the leaders about this. She let me know that the group is open to everyone. While it is held in a church and is mostly attended by Christians, the group strives to not be too “churchy”, including topics that are relevant to all moms and not just churchgoers. I am not a member of the church this is held at, and felt no pressure whatsoever to attend services there.