riada Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Our church has asked me to coordinate a MOPS group in our area and I accepted thinking it was a good volunteer opportunity. My problem/question is that although two of my kids are under 5 and participate in Moppets the other two are too old. I have had them help with the Moppets but am wondering if that is appropriate. If anyone has been in this situation can you let me know what you do with the older ones? So far I am the only one with older children present at the meetings. Suggestions of activities for the older two to do during meetings would be appreciated. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choirfarm Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I was assistant co-ordinator for several years,but all my children were preschoolers then. However, the lady who did our MOPPETS program homeschooled and had 4 daughters and they helped her teach the 4yo. It was great. When I started homeschooling my older two, I quit but went back to help with a program on school choices.. I was the one who had experience in both the ps and homeschooling front... the other speaker only ps the other one only homeschool. So my boys did school work in a room, but they were old enough and responsible enough. MOPPETS was the hardest part of our program. It doesn't take very many moms to have tons of kids. We struggled finding workers constantly. You need to have backups as sickness always happens as well. We only had 10 to 15 moms, but we needed a baby room, a toddler room and a 3/4 year old room, though I think we divided that one at somepoints. You need two workers for safety in each room, so you are talking 6 to 8 teachers at least. It was hard to find that many that could come during the day.. Christine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riada Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 We have enough volunteers to help with the Moppets. We have a great group of ladies that are empty nesters and love children so that part is covered. I guess my issue is that I am the only one with older children there. Do I have them help? Do I pack activities for them to do? Do they sit quietly in the rooms with the mom meeting? What is best for them to do, IYO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 the MOPs group I was a part of had a homeschooling room. I'm not sure how it was set up, we weren't homeschooling at the time, but we had enough students to justify a separate room for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabeline Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I think your 5 year old is not too old to participate in Moppets. My 6 year old still goes. Ithink it would be fine to have your 9 year old help out with the younger kids if that is something she would enjoy. Otherwise just having her keep herself busy with school work or just fun reading and maybe a small activity would be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riada Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 It's nice to hear that others have brought their older children to the meetings. And I love the thought of having a separate room for the homeschoolers. If we end up having more come that is a serious possibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 It's nice to hear that others have brought their older children to the meetings. And I love the thought of having a separate room for the homeschoolers. If we end up having more come that is a serious possibility. I attended a MOPS group in Oregon. A few of us were homeschoolers so they had an older lady who sat in a room with the homeschooled kids who were too old to be with the other kids but too young to really be a help. We would all give assignments to our kids to last about an hour then this lady would bring boardgames or other activities (and usually a snack) for the kids to do together. It was great for us moms! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.S. Burrow Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 We have enough volunteers to help with the Moppets. We have a great group of ladies that are empty nesters and love children so that part is covered. I guess my issue is that I am the only one with older children there. Do I have them help? Do I pack activities for them to do? Do they sit quietly in the rooms with the mom meeting? What is best for them to do, IYO? the MOPs group I was a part of had a homeschooling room. I'm not sure how it was set up, we weren't homeschooling at the time, but we had enough students to justify a separate room for them. I was a MOPS Coordinator years ago. Your 5 year old is not too old for the MOPPETS program - unless they've drastically changed that!! I like the idea of a homeschool room. If it's just your DD, maybe just an area of the MOPPETS room with a desk where she can do school work. Or free reading. Or help with the littles. I would not have her work on something in the Mom's meeting. Part of the purpose of MOPS is to have time away from your children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 if you don't think they should participate in the older group of Moppets then let them help with the 2 year old class :-) that class always needs help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarleneW Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 We had a separate room for homeschoolers who did their independant work in there while we met. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emilylou Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 This is my 1st year without MOPS.. :( Just couldn't fit it into my week. But when I did go, we had 3 families of older homeschooled kids that helped out in MOPPETS. MOPS is a wonderful ministry and I pray your family can figure out a way to serve that works for all involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 My kids and I have been working as Moppets workers for the past school year. My kids are 6 and 7 and it's been a wonderful family mission opportunity. We wanted something useful that the kids could really be a part of - not something they would watch me and Dh do without them. At our MOPS I have the 3 and older room - and that means young-ish homeschool kids as well. I usually have a couple of K-ers, a couple of 1st graders, a couple of 2nd graders and one or two 3-4th graders. I also have about 12-15 three to five year olds. It's nutty! I usually assign the "older" kids a buddy and they help with a little kid. Most of the HS kids are awesome about it. The "older" kids also help with crafts, serve the snacks, clean up after snack time, etc. It's really a great set-up - the older kids beam when I tell their moms how helpful and kind they were and I get some useful help. I can see the older kids really learning how to serve others and I see them *want* to help more each week. It's really neat. Even the littler kids are seeing how cool it is to serve and they work hard to put up toys and sweep up after snacks. I would recommend you have a good, older mom in the HS room - a lot of our Moppet workers are really young and it wouldn't be as great a fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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