Thank you to the Fathers that make us Mothers...

Happy Father's Day to all the dads that help make MOMS happen...Thank you dads for the time we can spend at home with our children--whether we work part time or full time, in the home or out of the home--we are so grateful to be able to come to MOMS meetings. We are better moms for it and better wives. When we can invest in ourselves, our roles, and our friendships, we grow as a person. Thank you.

Teaching Our Children to Honor their Father

Father’s Day was approaching and we had gathered with several families we know well to celebrate the fathers together. We’ve had a long standing tradition to take a few minutes and go around the room and let each child tell something they appreciate about their Daddy.

But this time my stomach was in knots. My friend and her husband had had a really difficult year. He’d started his own business and it had been all consuming. He had seen very little of his kids or his wife. She had 4 small children and it had been really hard on her. Not much help, or appreciation or affirmation or support. It would have been easy for her to be critical of the “cost” of this venture in her life as well as in the family life as a whole. It had been tough on their marriage and on their children.

When her four year olds’ turn came to tell something he liked about his Daddy I was fearful about what he might say. I was in for a delightful surprise as he exclaimed in his little four year-old boy voice,

“I appreciates my Daddy because he works so hard so we can have food and clothes and a house and he doesn’t get to see me very much which makes him sad because he wants to play with me but he has to work hard right now so he can take care of me. “

Where did this come from? I wondered. It came from a wise woman who made a decision day in and day out over a long period to build up her husband in front of her kids. Sure she could have been bitter, complained, said subtle things to her children to communicate her disappointment with her husband. Even though she had some legitimate gripes she chose instead to give them an appreciation for their Dad. And in the long run her attitude will reap great rewards.

Begin a tradition this Father’s day of having your kids and grandkids share specific things they appreciate about these important men in their lives.

found at: momlifetoday.com

What we do...

MOMS love time to mingle, talk, and catch up with friends when they come to M.O.M.S. Our ladies repeatedly claim that socialization is their favorite part of our meetings! Mothering can be exhausting and lonely, and we want to offer a place to relax, regroup, and re-energize.

Children are lovingly cared for by other ladies, given lessons, crafts, snacks and playtime with other children their age while moms make their way downstairs for brunch. After brunch, we have ice breakers and announcements. We also have crafts or special speakers each meeting. This past year, we have had crafts such as

• Picture Tiles: each mom had a picture they previously submitted printed onto tissue paper and mod-podged onto a tile and decorated
• Cookie Decorating: using various frosting decorating tips on holiday-shaped sugar cookies
• Glass Snowmen: paint glass jar to look like a snowman, place twinkle lights inside and give it a hat
• Crocheting: learn steps to simple crocheting and create a hand towel
• Bag Decorating: use a Cri-cut to cut out shapes from fabric and iron onto a fabric tote-bag

We also had speakers speaking on topics such as:

• Gift giving and gift decorating
• Fitness and nutrition
• How to parent your child according to his or her personality
• Making your time with your children special and meaningful in the ordinary
• Photography tips with a professional photographer

M.O.M.S.

Making Our Mothering Special

A ministry of Shelby Road Baptist Church, Shelby, Michigan, to mothers of preschoolers. We meet the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays from September to May from 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Mission Statement: Our group of moms seeks other moms of preschoolers to encourage the position of motherhood and passionately parent in a Biblical fashion. Our purpose is to reach out, inspire, encourage and help equip preschool mothers in our area.