Welcome to Parents of Tots!
Parents of Tots is a volunteer-run non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families with young children in Wakefield, Stoneham, Woburn, Reading, Melrose and surrounding communities by providing parents with the means to build a supportive social network for themselves and their children.
Whether you work full-time, part-time, or are a full-time parent, we definitely have something for you. With trips, events, peer-to-peer support and so many other perks, there is something for every parent out there.
Give us a try! Click here to learn more about us!
PRINCE PIZZA FUNDRAISER
HELP US RAISE SOME DOUGH!
PoT is selling vouchers for the fabulous Take N Bake Pizzas from Prince Pizza!
One Voucher is good a box of 3 cheese pizzas for only $20!
We're selling the pizza vouchers from May 1- May 21 so reserve yours today!
We'll get them to you by the end of May so you can go pickup your delicious
pizzas from the restaurant at your convenience. Dinner done!
Purchase your vouchers today. Click below to purchase online or email potfieldtrips@yahoo.com with pizza in the subject and tell us how many $20 vouchers you want and we will contact you to coordinate the payment.
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May 2012 - Words from a Member of Parents of Tots
Nicole Grace(PoT Treasurer & Festival Coordinator) tells us about her involvement with PoT!
Oh my! What have I gotten myself into? Did I seriously offer to write the cover letter for May’s newsletter?? I vaguely remember a member meeting a few months ago… being so gung ho to spread the word about how great Parents of Tots is and now between bouncy house playdates, pizza parties, school drop off/pick up, remembering to vote and to use my Stop & Shop gas points before they expire, I now need to write something that is coherent and a bit more involved than any of my recent text messages typed with one hand?! Oh my – What have I gotten myself into?!
I remember thinking that in the hospital, holding my newborn daughter, Mackenzie, while looking at the Boston skyline. I managed to feel my way through the days of early motherhood, using trial and error, talking to people who ‘knew that they were doing” and finally just listening to my gut – trying to ignore any feelings of self-doubt. My motto – “Fake it until you make it!” was front and center. The days turned into months and less than two years later, there I was in the hospital again holding my daughter, Victoria, looking at the Boston skyline, thinking “Oh my, how am I going to pull this off?!”
What I discovered was a great group of parents in the same boat – thinking the same thing! I received my first Parents of Tots newsletter from a neighbor shortly after my first child was born. I remembered reading it cover to cover, intrigued by such a group. It was well written, professional looking and very informative. But as it seemed to take a small miracle to get out the house with the little one, I rarely ‘dared’ to attend the variety of fieldtrips. In the second year, I made it to a few. By the time my second daughter was born, I only knew a few mothers in the group but continued reading the newsletter. It wasn’t until I worked up the nerve to attend a monthly member meeting, that I really felt connected and started getting the most out of the group – the other parents were such a wealth of information! I discovered so many new places to go and things to do with my girls. It was nice to be able to chat with the same moms that I saw at fieldtrips though we only shared completely disjointed, constantly interrupted conversations. At the meetings, we were finally able to complete a thought and that’s when I got to know a few women who are now some of my dearest friends. After the first couple of meetings, I started ‘carpooling’ to the meetings with friends – we would gab the whole ride to and from so excited to be out of the house without kids in tow! The meetings are filled with laughter, great conservation and ultimately the foundation for what makes the group a success. If you’re even considering attending a meeting, email me – you can ride with us! Or grab a friend and meet us there – I promise you won’t regret it!
It was the same meetings that I realized that this organization was run by volunteers – all being parents of tots. At first, I thought I was too busy (overwhelmed to be truthful) to help but then realized, all parents are busy. That it only takes a small contribution to make a difference and that it really does take a village to achieve great things. Plus if I didn’t pitch in, someone else would have to pick up the slack. So I started as the Wakefield Reporter and required my predecessor spoon feed the monthly protocol so I didn’t “mess it up”. I laugh now thinking of how cautious and nervous I had been…in recent months, I’ve been trying to help fill in the void in our low active member count. I put the whole thing together in five minutes now – everything gets easier with repetition, right?
I am currently the Treasurer for the group which is a nice change of pace from my former finance and accounting positions prior to entering motherhood.
Four years ago, I worked the set up for the Festival by the Lake – the first year PoT was asked to coordinate the children’s activities. Holly Lannen, single handedly organized the event and it was a huge fundraising success. After taking my daughters to the Festival that afternoon and seeing what a great community event we were providing, I emailed Holly that evening offering my help going forward. The following year I assisted Holly and then the third year, Holly took a well deserved break to shift focus to the arrival of her second child and handed the reigns over to me. This year will be our fourth year and we’ve opted to make several adjustments that will require less volunteer efforts which unfortunately will impact our fundraising bottom line. However it was the best solution after several newsletter requests for a few members to get involved with the Festival receiving minimal response.
So, now that I’ve written the cover and ask myself “Oh my, what did I get myself into?” I can honestly answer…a creative, inspiring, fun, dedicated group of amazing people! What’s better than that??