The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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October 30, 2009

Local MOPS chapters are offering support for mothers of preschoolers

By Joe Malan, Staff Writer

Sara Dye had her daughter, Jeslynn, when she was 22 years old.

Dye said at the time, she didn’t have any friends her age who had children, so she didn’t know who she could go to for advice on how to care for her toddler.

That changed in January 2007 when she joined the First Baptist Church chapter of MOPS or Mothers of Preschoolers.

Dye now is a coordinator for the First Baptist chapter.

She also now has a 6-month-old son, Adler. Adler and Jeslynn join Dye for MOPS meetings, which are 9-11:30 a.m. every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the church.

At MOPS meetings, the children are engaged in a variety of activities while mothers listen to speakers and talk about issues facing mothers of young children.

“You kind of share a common bond,” said Dye, now 25.

“You have friends you can call up and say, ‘I know your child is a year older than mine, how do you deal with things, such as temper tantrums?’” she said.

Mollie Babb, who has been with the group since its inception, said MOPS is an especially good resource for military mothers.

“If a military mom moves, she can go to mops.org,” Babb explained. “She can click on the country or state, and it brings up all the local organizations she can join.”

Babb said half of the First Baptist group is comprised of military moms and the other half are local moms.

MOPS started in February 1973 in Wheat Ridge, Colo., when eight women decided to gather for a short program while their children received care.

Since then, the organization has expanded greatly and has an international presence. There are MOPS groups in South Africa, Brazil and Germany, to name a few.

Anyone who is interested in joining the First Baptist group can call Dye at 402-4860.



Still successful



The first chapter of MOPS in Enid was formed by Emmanuel Baptist Church more than 15 years ago.

Tana Redelsperger, 28, a co-coordinator for the Emmanuel Baptist group, said they have grown to 30 members since then.

She joined five years ago when the group was having a membership drive at the church. Redelsperger has two daughters, Reagan, 5, and Ryan, 3.

The goal of MOPS, as Redelsperger put it, is “to point the new moms to God’s love and also to provide a support system for other moms.”

“They learn the normalcy of things involved with children that age,” she said.

Redelsperger said MOPS International’s theme this year is “Together on Planet Mom.” Activities for each individual group can be planned around that theme.

The Emmanuel Baptist group gathers 9-11:30 a.m. on the first and third Thursdays of every month. For information, call Emmanuel Baptist Church at 237-0602.



New opportunity



Oakwood Christian Church recently started a MOPS group at the church. The group meets 9-11 a.m. on the first Tuesday of every month. For information, call the church at 233-1225.

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