Pure Parents

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >         My husband has just been transferred to Houston. It is halfway > across the country and have no friends/relatives  here yet. I am > trying to find some sort of parenting network out here, but I’m not > having any luck. When we were in Illinois, ther was a group called > FEMALE, but unfortunately there is no chapter in Houston (only Dallas > and some other farther cities) I don’t really know where to begin > trying to find a playgroup or even just a mom’s group. When our > daughter Lexi (18mo) was born I had gotten a call from a group about > joining a playgroup. I don’t know remember how they got my name, but > I’ve never really had to start fresh. Can anyone give me some advice > on where to look for a group? Houston is such a big city, I don’t know > where to begin! We are Jewish, so I feel funny contacting a church, > and I don’t think there are a lot of temples in this area.(I could be > wrong though–I looked in the phone book under temples and couldn’t > tell which ones were Jewish–if any!) > Thanks for any advice you can send!! > Denise Mother of Lexi (6/9/96)

Hi Denise, 1)  Check under "synagogues" in the yellow pages.  Also, many churches/synagogues run "mother’s morning out" programs for kids as young as 6 months so you may be able to enroll your child and meet other parents that way.  My son started his "school" two mornings a week at 1.5yo and loves it (now going 3 days/week, 2.5yo) 2)  Also have your husband ask around at work about other people whose spouses stay home with the kids (not always the wife these days).   3)  Go to parks and museums.  I have met several people by just going to local parks.  I made my own "business cards" that I could give to people so that we could arrange playdates because who takes a pen and paper to the park?   4)  Start your own chapter of FEMALE.  Houston’s a big city, certainly there have been others interested but not interested enough to start their own chapter.  If you build it, they will come. Good luck!   Leigh in raLeigh

Response:

writes: > My husband has just been transferred to Houston. It is halfway > across the country and have no friends/relatives  here yet. I am > trying to find some sort of parenting network out here, but I’m not > having any luck. When we were in Illinois, ther was a group called > FEMALE, but unfortunately there is no chapter in Houston (only Dallas > and some other farther cities) I don’t really know where to begin > trying to find a playgroup or even just a mom’s group.

Denise I’m British so I can’t give you any specific advice about particular groups there may be in Houston, but if I were in your situation in Britain I would start by asking at my local library, which would probably have a file of community groups. Also, over here we have an organisation called the National Childbirth Trust which, as well as being a national lobbying group has a local network of mother & toddler groups; the nearest US equivalent is probably the La Leche League. Might that have a similar coffee group network? How about your local child health clinic-would they have details of parent & toddler groups? Good luck. Pat  

Response:

        My husband has just been transferred to Houston. It is halfway across the country and have no friends/relatives  here yet. I am trying to find some sort of parenting network out here, but I’m not having any luck. When we were in Illinois, ther was a group called FEMALE, but unfortunately there is no chapter in Houston (only Dallas and some other farther cities) I don’t really know where to begin trying to find a playgroup or even just a mom’s group. When our daughter Lexi (18mo) was born I had gotten a call from a group about joining a playgroup. I don’t know remember how they got my name, but I’ve never really had to start fresh. Can anyone give me some advice on where to look for a group? Houston is such a big city, I don’t know where to begin! We are Jewish, so I feel funny contacting a church, and I don’t think there are a lot of temples in this area.(I could be wrong though–I looked in the phone book under temples and couldn’t tell which ones were Jewish–if any!)   Thanks for any advice you can send!! Denise Mother of Lexi (6/9/96)

Response: