Wisconsin Moms’ Group Teams with Teen MOPS

The patience for potty training or managing household finances are challenges for any mom. These challenges are multiplied for teen moms who are juggling the additional pressures of high school. That’s why the Classic MOPS (Mother Of PreSchoolers) group of Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Sheboygan, Wisc., wanted to gather with the Teen MOPS group and support one another as moms.

Earlier this month, approximately 30 moms gathered for an event called MOPS University. Every mom selected three topics of interest, such as couponing or CPR, and listened to a speaker on this subject. Most groups also shared personal stories. “Tonight I liked the way we were able to meet and talk with moms a little older than us. We get a whole new perspective and advice from some moms who may have more experience than we do,” said Danielle Neese, who attends Teen MOPS.

Both Classic MOPS and Teen MOPS have their meetings on Tuesday nights. They sit down to a meal together while their children are in a nursery setting, but their meetings following dinner are separate. When teens reach a certain age, they are invited to Classic MOPS. Brittney Kramer, a member of Calvin CRC and organizer of Classic MOPS said, “It is getting time for those [teen moms] to graduate and we want them over in our [Classic MOPS] group. We are making ourselves known to them.”

The moms who attend Teen MOPS are mostly young moms from the community who attend the local high school; members of the Classic MOPS group are predominantly moms from Calvin CRC. Emily Pierce, who attends Teen MOPS, said, “Because I know I am in the process of transitioning over to the Classic MOPS group, it is really nice to share nights like these with both groups. We really have a lot in common as mothers."

Kramer added, “There is nothing that separated us in any way. We are all moms.”