We encourage you to stay connected to each other!

75% of participants have been or plan to continue meeting with their PEPS Group. 

Parents get busy, and try to stay flexible. Maybe you start with weekly meetings, and perhaps that moves to once a month or to a large family gathering once in a while: “We're working to figure out how to stay connected since all of us work and continue to connect.”

Share your ideas with us at peps@peps.org!

Here are some recent examples from ongoing daytime and evening groups that show their range and creativity:

The Classic: Weekly meetings with a schedule and speakers and planned outings

Keep the day or time and keep meeting each week. If you miss one week then it won’t seem like you have missed nearly a whole month. Many successful groups that have stayed together for several years have kept their group day and time the same and haven’t changed it.

Dealing with naps: If it is a morning group that meets and the babies start changing their nap times, groups may move the time up a half an hour so everyone still comes in the morning.

Time for Parents: Have Parents’ Nights Out! Schedule them regularly, at least three or four months in a row just to get in the habit. If you have capable caregivers, plan to have 2 caregivers watch the kids so you can all go out together. If not, have 2 parents volunteer at a time watch the kids.

“We continue to meet with our kids once a month as well as various evenings without our kids. It's great!”

Do the day or time: Parents and groups do a great job changing up the schedule so that they can stay connected. Move from weekly to monthly or to the weekends. Mix up the schedule – once on Tuesdays, once on Thursdays, and once on the weekend. Twice a month - once for the whole families, once for playdates. Or, once a classic meeting, once a walk/activity.

“Once a month as a group during weekday, then also once a month on a weekend day. Every other month the one weekend day is for the whole family. Friday walks around Greenlake. Keeping up via FB.”

For groups who need a new format or when weekly meetings are not possible, try meeting once a month for a potluck and once a month for an outing.

Have a monthly barbeque, potluck, brunch or outing. Many groups have moved to this format once their children grow to be toddlers because they meet in the evening and the children need to go to bed

Adding new group members: Many PEPS groups choose to allow non-members to come in and feel that it enhances their group.

Seasonal / Outdoor Fun – Spray park meet ups, go on walks, camping or BBQs

“Weekly play dates in the park while the weather is nice, and then we'll come up with a different plan.”

Trade babysitting – “On alternating Wednesdays we have a babysitting coop.”

Future plans – “Our group is still meeting biweekly and all our babies are over a year now. We have a camping trip planned for this summer, and no plans to change our meeting schedules!”

Beyond Babies – As the kids get older, in school, sports and activities, there are groups that plan one midwinter event and one summer event. These 2 planned days in a year can be enough to connect good friends, share stories of parenting, and create relationships with all the kids as they grow.

Things can seem to falter from time to time. Often it takes just one person who will keep the group going. Many groups can keep going, after a bumpy schedule.

More ideas for PEPS Alumni Groups

• Invite a speaker to your group. Request the PEPS Speakers List at peps@peps.org.
• Give back to the community with a family activities, see Giving Back.
• Attend the PEPS Annual Luncheon together
• Take classes as a group. Many groups have signed up for Infant/Baby CPR, swimming, sign language, parenting classes etc.
• Throw a party in support of PEPS – and raise money for families who need financial assistance.
• Group Activities Ideas and a blog post with tons of ways PEPS Groups stay connected
• Groups Giving Back