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Article from Mops.org

Turn Your Car Into a Bathtub:
5 Ways to Carve Out Time for Yourself
by Emily Chase Smith
Veggie Tales time = Mom time

Newsflash: Kids love videos. They’re going to watch videos and as you know, some of those videos have great messages. Engage in a bit of patience and forbearance and save the viewing for prime time. I have a 6-month-old and a 3-year-old at home, so I save video viewing for the baby’s nap time. When both kids are occupied, I have my hands and my brain free.

A nap by any other name smells as sweet
If your child has stopped taking the coveted nap, institute a reading/resting time. My 3-year-old doesn’t nap anymore, but she will “read” quietly on the couch for about 45 minutes. While she’s reading I sit next to her on the couch with my laptop and read or write. She knows that reading/resting time is for her to read quietly to herself, not for me to read to her (that’s "snuggle bunny" time). Note: sometimes reading/resting time turns into an impromptu nap, and that extra time is golden!

No more water!
Institute a firm bedtime. As parents, you get to decide when the day ends. It probably should not end after 2 hours of wild, running children fighting sleep with hyperactivity. Kids need sleep and you need a break. Not only does a firm bedtime give you time to yourself, it also gives you time with your husband or parenting partner. You know your kids are going to wake up at 6 am anyway; you might as well get some rest on the front end.

Ignore the frantic beeping
Stop for a moment and try to count the number of things in your house that contain computer chips. If you give up because you lose count, limit your search to your purse. I bet there are tons! Each of those electronics has you on a string. The phone rings, the timer goes off, the TV turns on of its own volition and you jump. Give yourself a break by saying, “you’re not the boss of me” to them all. Let them squawk away and count the reprieve as time out.

Turn your car into a bathtub
Not only do I have an infant and a 3-year-old, but I also have an 8-year-old that needs to be picked up from school each day. I try to arrive about half an hour early because I know that my kids are lulled to sleep by the rhythm of a car ride. While sitting in the car in front of school I read, play Sudoku or just lean my head against the headrest and close my eyes. It’s almost as relaxing as a nice warm bath (without the candles). I have also been known to park in front of the local Starbucks with my laptop to use the free Wi-Fi while my kids sleep in the backseat.
Yes, many of these methods to carve out time for yourself involve children sleeping — no one can say my kids are not well rested. The real key is to look at what’s already going on with a new eye, then tuning it to meet the needs of your whole family, including yourself.

Emily Chase Smith is a former attorney and now work-at-home mother of 3. She is the founder of www.MommyBrainOnline.com, a website, newsletter and weekly iTunes podcast encouraging mothers to continue to live their dreams and passions while raising children.

MOPS International Purpose and Values

The MOPS International Purpose Statement is reflected in the following values and should be observable in the MOPS organization, ministry and communications.

Organizational Values:

• Excellence: The achievement of organizational excellence by conducting all the affairs of the ministry in accordance with biblical principles, sound management, personal and organizational integrity, financial stewardship, and empowerment of the staff to accomplish organizational outcomes.
• Heritage: The historical MOPS group structure serves as a model for ministry.
• Faith Position Statement: A commitment to the MOPS International Faith Position Statement.
• Partnerships/Alliances: Partnership/Alliances where individual strengths are shared for a common purpose.
• Local Church: A relationship with the local church, embracing a spectrum of diverse denominations, which are in agreement with our Faith Position Statement.
• Governance: The building of the board to model good governance, ensure the election of qualified and committed directors, constantly refine the Standing Policies Manual, and inform board members of major developments.

Ministry Values:

Dignity: The dignity of each human life and of each individual mother of preschoolers, no matter where she has been, what she has done or how she is choosing to live her life today, embracing both believers and nonbelievers and all ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Women: The equipping of women to become all that God has designed them to be. Mothering: The value of mothering for its contribution to individuals, children, society at large, future generations and eternity. Relationships: Relationships including the male/female marital relationship, the parent/child relationship, and the ultimate fulfillment of all needs through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Lifestyle Evangelism: Lifestyle evangelism as expressed through Christ-like relationships in an environment for growth and spiritual development as faith shared through actions and words. Leadership Development: The equipping of women to gain confidence in their leadership skills and guide others through lifestyle evangelism.