We have a monthly general meeting at a local church*, usually on the first Monday of the month. Members take turns providing food and drink, so you can have a day off from making lunch for you and your children.  Young children stay with you; older children usually go play in the children's room, supervised by several moms (we rotate who has that duty). 

The general meeting can appear a little chaotic when you first get there (before the kids head off to the children's room), so if you plan to attend for the first time, please email our Membership Vice-President at membership@momsclubofenon.com so she can welcome you before you get lost in the mayhem! 

Once the children have left for the children's room, we usually have either a speaker or a discussion topic. 

Speakers

Members are encouraged to submit suggestions for speakers, so we have enjoyed a wide range of topics. In the past, a lawyer came in to give advice on how to write a will, a policement came in to show us self-defense techniques, and we recently enjoyed a series of speakers on educational options, including the principal of Enon Elementary, the director of the Enon Montessori School, and a mom who homeschools her three children. 

Discussions

Discussion topics are varied and are always open to suggestions, but here are a few possibilities:

• How much television is appropriate for children? 
• How do you interview babysitters or childcare workers?
• What kind of discipline works for your child?
• How do you find time to spend with your significant other?

* Please note that the MOMS Club is not affiliated with any religion or religious organization.  A local church has been kind enough to allow us to use their facilities.

We have several playgroups which usually meet in members' homes. The playgroups are usually divided up according to age. This makes for a smaller, more manageable group that can fit in our homes! If you have more than one child, siblings are automatically invited to each playgroup his or her brother(s) or sister(s) are involved in. You may attend all of the playgroups that your children are members of, or you may choose to attend only one. The decision is yours!

Playgroups generally meet at least three times a month, during the weeks in which we have neither the General Meeting or the Cooking Club. 

Once a month, we have Cooking Club instead of a playgroup.  This is not as complicated as it sounds; we don't actually all get together and cook our dishes in one person's house while surrounded by all of our children!  Instead, each mom cooks a dish a brings it to be enjoyed by everyone.  We all get to eat lunch, and hopefully learn some new recipes! 

Once a month, all of the kids are invited to a free storytime at the Enon Library.  We found that most storytimes were restricted to kids ages 2 and up, so we organized one just for us that we can take all of our kids to!  The kids enjoy a story and a craft, all in a separate room at the library, so we don't disturb other patrons and our kids can run free safely.

Our book group meets every other month at a member's house.  Children are welcome!  We consider this to be more of a playgroup with a suggested topic of conversation than an intense book dissection group. 

In addition to all of the regularly scheduled activities, we also throw in a few more events each season.  In the winter, we often meet at the Vandalia Recreation Center's indoor(!) waterpark or Boonshoft Museum of Discovery (a season pass is cheap and invaluable for those long cold months).  In the summer, we meet at local parks, local pools, or the Kettering Recreation Center's outdoor waterpark. We also arrange to carpool to the Cincinnati Zoo or Columbus Zoo.

We all love our children, but sometimes it is nice to get away for an hour or two.  Once a month we have MOMS Night Out, and once a month we have MOMS Lunch Out.  We choose a restaurant and meet there without children* to get to know each other better as people, not just as moms.  It's wonderful!

*If you can't find a babysitter, you can bring your kids.  We'd still love to see you!

Scrapbooking Night is one of our MNO activities! We list it separately because we have lots to say about it. This activity is a great way to meet others while enjoying time working on your scrapbooking pages -  we have members who stamp, scrapbook and do journaling, too! Not into scrapbooking? No problem, you can come paint your nails, fill out your child's baby book and snack on great foods! Hot coffee, tea, pop, pizza, and great snacks are always involved. (Some months this activity is held during the day).

Once a month, the executive board gets together to discuss club business and brainstorm about more new and exciting things to do.  All club members are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Sometimes it is nice to receive a nice little gift or a happy poem from a secret admirer, and it is often even nicer to make someone else's day!  A few times a year, members have the opportunity to participate in the 'Secret Sisters' program.  We draw names secretly, then try to do something every month or so to show our secret sister that we are thinking of them.  Nothing expensive or elaborate, just something small and fun. 

Are you having trouble finding a babysitter?  Maybe you don't know what questions to ask, or how to even find someone to interview.  Here's your chance to avoid all of that.  We've set up a system of trading time, so you can leave your child(ren) with another mom in the group, someone that you know and trust.  In exchange, you can take care of someone else's children.

You're probably already a mother, so you probably remember how difficult those first few weeks could be, trying to handle a new baby, maybe other children, and still trying to keep up with your usual responsibilities. 

To help out mothers with new babies, moms that are ill or recovering from surgery, or moms that are experiencing some kind of family emergency, we've organized the Sunshine Committee.  For a couple of weeks, we'll take care of providing dinner for you and your family.  All you need to do is eat and relax!

Are you wondering if we actually do all these things?  We do!  The group is very organized and is large enough (over 30 members) that events very rarely get cancelled, and that usually only because of weather.

So, if you're new to the area or to being a mom, and don't have enough ways to fill your days, you can see that joining the MOMS Club will take care of that in no time!  We hope to see you soon!