WFWP Norway’s ‘Mamma og Meg’ group growing in popularity in the Oslo community
Mamma og Meg (Mommy and Me), a group for parents of children under school age (0-5 years), held its largest meeting yet on Sunday, September 11. 10 parents and 10 children met at an outdoor cafe and enjoyed a beautiful sunny afternoon together. The parents got to know one another by sharing tips and anecdotes about baby sleep patterns and starting daycare. Meanwhile the children, ranging in age from 6 weeks to 4 years, either played in the grass or napped contently in their strollers or mothers’ arms.
The purpose of Mamma and Meg is to create a place where parents with small children can meet regularly in order for both the mothers and the children to bond together and build supportive friendships with one another.
We aim to meet once a month in a child-friendly environment so that parents feel relaxed and are able to chat with each other while the children are able to play freely.
Roswitha Johansen, WFWP Norway’s president, initially came up with the idea for Mamma and Meg because several of the WFWP Norway members are young mothers. Also, she was looking for a way to reach out to and find new WFWP members who live in the local neighborhood surrounding the Family Federation church center in Oslo (which is also the WFWP center). There is no focus or pressure in Mamma og Meg to become a WFWP member. The aim is rather that WFWP serve the community (both members and non) by meeting the needs of those in the community.
So far, the meetings have been casual and focused on getting to know one another as the group is still relatively new. It started in April 2016. However, there is a lot of potential to build on in the future as the group gains more momentum!
(General summary by Yun-A Johnson, Vice President of WFWP Norway)