Need a break? Could your perspective and energy levels use a boost? If you’re like just about any other mom in the world, you’ll say a big “yes” to both of these questions.
Power of Moms Retreats are uniquely powerful opportunities for learning, sharing, reflecting and relaxing.
Part “professional development” in the field of motherhood and part get-away, Power of Moms Retreats can entail a day-long or weekend get-away or simply a two or three-hour gathering where a group of moms step away from their regular lives to learn from wonderful trainers and from each other and head home empowered with ideas and support.
Our evening, half-day, full-day and weekend Retreats are designed to unite women from all backgrounds, regardless of religion, age, family size, or employment status. We find common ground in our desires to be deliberate mothers.
Click on the links below for photos, quotes from attendees and more information.
The History of Retreats (Click to Expand or Contract)
Back in 2003, I (Saren) and my good friend Neylan McBaine, were discussing various professional development opportunities we’d had in our pre-motherhood lives. We talked about how great it is that members of most professions have the chance to plan and learn from each other at their annual company retreats and thought about the fact that moms (who are members of the world’s most important profession) also need a chance to “network” with other moms and share their ideas and experiences. This little seed of an idea kept nagging us and we decided to put together our first Motherhood Retreat at Bear Lake, Idaho in the fall of 2005 (with Saren’s baby twins in tow…).
That first Retreat was magical and meaningful beyond our wildest dreams and spurred several other Retreats across the country. Neylan and I went on to create a whole “Retreat Manual” to help mothers create their own similar events. But we found out that the best Retreats were headed up by mothers who’d been to a Retreat and had first-hand understanding of what a Retreat should be.
Based on the experiences and feedback of those first pioneer Retreat groups, April and I have taken the work that Neylan and I spearheaded many years ago to a whole new level (Neylan’s time is limited but she’s still on our Advisory Board and writes a column for us). We’ve developed a robust and replicable Retreat program that is providing wonderful experiences for many mothers.
We now offer Retreats all around the world. These uniquely fun, meaningful and empowering events will give mothers the opportunity to step away from their regular lives to think, learn, grow and laugh as they gain new tools and ideas to become the mother and woman they want to be.
To expand our Retreat offerings, we’re looking for women who’d like to become Retreat Organizers and Power of Moms Trainers to lead Retreats and workshops for moms in their own community. Read on to learn more.
Common Questions and Answers About Retreats (Click to Expand or Contract)
Click on a question below to jump to its answer or scroll down to read all the answers:
Are these Retreats for new mothers, mothers with younger children or mothers with older children?
What topics and other elements are included in a Retreat?
How can I participate in or host a Retreat?
What can I do to bring a Power of Moms Retreat to my community?
How much does it cost to put on a Retreat?
Can I become a Power of Moms Trainer and run my own Retreats and Power of Moms Workshops?
What can Power of Moms Trainers do?
Are these Retreats for new mothers, mothers of young children or mothers of older children?
Power of Moms Retreats are for mothers of all ages with all ages of children. Grandmothers are also welcome to attend! Retreats will help mothers with babies and young children to chart successful life courses and enjoy a much-needed break from the daily workload. Mothers who have older children will appreciate the principles taught and be able to contribute their experiences to help younger mothers. Mothers with older children might especially enjoy becoming certified as Power of Moms Trainers, so they can use their experience, time, and more flexible schedules to strengthen other mothers. One way or another, if you are a mother who would like to enjoy some time with like-minded moms as you gain ideas to take better care of yourself and strengthen and your family, a Power of Moms Retreat would be a great thing for you.
What topics and other elements are included in a Retreat?
Retreat subjects include:
- Effective Family Systems: Family Discipline Practices, Family Economy, Family Identity
- Taking Care of the Person Inside the Mom (physically, emotionally, mentally, socially and spiritually)
- Picking Our Priorities
- Finding More Joy in Motherhood
- Mind Organization for Moms (our M.O.M. Program)
- Being Enough
- Moving Great Ideas into Reality
- Effective Parenting Partnerships with Our Husbands
Other Retreat elements can include:
- Interactive training by seasoned trainers
- Lots of facilitated small-group discussions where we can all learn from each other
- Lots of laughter (extra laughter involived in our overnight Retreats where moms stay up late together sharing stories and playing games – it will take you back to your best slumber parties and great times with college roommates)
- Great food (lovely snacks are always served and excellent meals are offered at full-day or weekend Retreats)
- Activities like hiking, walking, swimming, hot tubbing, spa treatments, etc. (in the case of weekend Retreats – no time for this during a Day Retreat or Mini-Retreat)
- Relaxation and opportunities to reflect (in the case of a weekend Retreat)
- Self-assessment (in a very friendly way), goal-setting and planning (so you can leave armed with REAL solutions that will really work for you)
- Take-away gifts and a network of ongoing support via our website that will help you really use all that you’ve learned at the Retreat
How can I participate in or host a Retreat?
We offer two ways for you to participate in an inspiring and rejuvenating Power of Moms Retreat:
- You can come as an attendee to a Retreat that Power of Moms or some of our certified Trainers have organized. If there’s a Retreat planned for a location near you, this is the easiest way to participate in a Retreat. The price to attend a two-day Retreat usually ranges from $300-$600 for the weekend (includes training, lodging and meals but not transportation) and for a one-day Retreat, the price ranges from $90 – 150. To learn about any currently planned Retreats, please ensure that you are registered on our site and we’ll send you notice of all upcoming events.
- You can partner with Power of Moms to put on a Retreat. As a “Retreat Organizer,” you work with The Power of Moms to put together a Retreat in your community. You find the place (a large home donated by someone who’d love to contribute to the cause of motherhood is ideal but hotels can work very well too) and the participants (15-30 moms is optimal for a weekend Retreat, 50-80 for a day-only Retreat) and help with logistics (with lots of help and instructions from us) and we send in an experienced trainer or two (based on your numbers and preferences) to present high-quality, interactive and fun workshops. After helping organize a Retreat, Retreat Organizers can choose to become certified as “Power of Moms Trainers” and can then continue to organize and also conduct Retreats. Retreat Organizers and Power of Moms Trainers can provide wonderful opportunities for mothers while making a little extra money. Email Tiffany at tiffany(at)powerofmoms(dot)com for more details. The cost of a full-day Retreat is typically $90-150/person). The cost for a weekend Retreat varies greatly based on the type of lodging and meals involved but can be in the range of $300-$600/person).
What do I need to do to bring a Power of Moms Retreat to my community?
Here’s how it works to create a Retreat in your area:
To put on a Weekend Retreat or Full Day Retreat in your area, we need a “Retreat Organizer” (could be you!). This person handles the local logistics for a Retreat following instructions we provide and with the help of a lot of email and phone support from an assigned Power of Moms Trainer. We walk you through everything that needs to happen to set up a location, arrange for food, publicize the Retreat locally and gather a group of 20-80 moms to participate in the Retreat. We have one (or two in the case of a large group or a request for more than one trainer) of our trained and wonderful “Power of Moms Trainers” work with the local “Retreat Organizer” to coach her through the logistics and fine tune the workshops and topics to be offered. Then that same Power of Moms Trainer comes in to present the Retreat, introducing each topic, facilitating meaningful discussions and helping everyone at the Retreat share what they know and learn all they can from each other. If you’re interested in becoming a Retreat Organizer, contact Tiffany, our Training Manager, at Tiffany(at)powerofmoms(dot)com.
How much does it cost to put on a Retreat?
While we’re certainly not in this for the money (we may have made about 25 cents an hour so far for our work!), we do need to cover the costs of running our organization and ensure that our Power of Moms Trainers are compensated for all the time, money and effort it takes to prepare for a Retreat, pay for child care for their kids for a day or two, cover travel expenses and actually present the Retreat.
- If you’d like us to put on a Retreat in your area for your own private group, the fixed costs include $250 for the Retreat materials and prep work involved in helping the Retreat Organizer (you) set everything up and $500-1000 for the 2 days of professional training/coaching from one of our Power of Moms Trainers – so that’s a total of up to $1250. Then the group also needs to cover the Power of Moms Trainer’s lodging and travel expenses (we do everything possible to assign a Retreat Leader who lives somewhat close to the Retreat location to keep costs down). If you divide these costs between 15 people, it’s about $70-$120/person for the two days of training (plus dividing up travel expenses for the Retreat Leader). In most cases, the Retreat Organizer charges all attendees a little extra (about $10/person) in order to reimburse herself for at least a little bit of the time that she puts in as a Retreat Organizer (so a Retreat Organizer ends up getting $100 – $200 for all her hard work).
- The variable expenses include food and lodging for Retreat attendees. In many cases, Retreat Organizers are able to secure use of someone’s second home or cabin for their Retreat. In this case, lodging can be free (or almost free – they usually pay for cleaning expenses or offer a gift to the owner). In other cases, a Retreat Organizer has her husband and kids take their own little vacation at a relative’s home or motel and uses her own home as the Retreat location. Sometimes a Retreat Organizer finds a great deal or a hotel or resort. There are many options. Food can be quite inexpensive if the Retreat takes place at a home or facility with a kitchen. Usually a Retreat Organizer has some of the Retreat attendees help her with food and logistics (suggested simple ways to divide up the work are offered in our Retreat Materials).
Can I become a Power of Moms Trainer and run my own Retreats and Power of Moms Workshops?
YES. Click here to learn all about our Trainer Program.
What can Power of Moms Trainers do?
A Power of Moms Trainer can put on Mini-Retreats and full-scale Retreats in her own area plus travel to other areas to be the Power of Moms Trainer for a group that has requested a Retreat. She’s also certified to put on 2-3-hour Power of Moms Workshops (using curriculum, videos, discussion questions and materials provided by The Power of Moms) as often as she’d like for groups of 10-40 moms (in her own home or in another location).
Power of Moms Trainers are paid by participants for the training and Retreats they provide. As a Power of Moms Trainer, you can use your skills to make a real difference in the lives of many women (and their families) while making a little extra money. For more information, check out our Trainer Program here.
Quotes from Retreat Participants (Click to Expand or Contract)
Here are a few of the 100’s of great comments we’ve received from Retreat participants. It’s sure been wonderful to see our vision for Retreats result in a reality that really, really works for moms!
“This Retreat was truly life-changing for me.” – Leisl S.
“This was one of the most enriching weekends of my life. I absolutely loved the diversity of women, yet the unity we all shared.” – Heather R.
“My husband is amazed at the peace and productivity that came from just 2 days at the Retreat. Thank you for the life-altering changes on the way I look at motherhood and my life. I feel like a happier healthier me.” – Susan C.
“What a magical weekend! I haven’t laughed so hard or learned so much in a long, long time.” – anonymous survey answer
“I’m leaving this Retreat not just with my fire lit but with it BLAZING! I have a passion for my role as a mother and now an extreme desire to bring this to others. I love the specific tools we got to implement all the great ideas…I feel inspired – truly inspired!” – anonymous survey answer
“So enriching, enlightening, motivating and comforting! Great to bond with wonderful like-minded mothers. What a fabulous supportive atmosphere!” – anonymous survey answer
“Amazing, empowering plus very useful and practical. I can’t wait to change my life and my family for the better. It was everything I dreamed of and more. I’m so excited to become the best me I can be.” – anonymous survey answer
“It was so enjoyable to be in an atmosphere of women who seemed to care so much about each other even before we knew each other’s names. Just knowing we had the common goal of wanting to be better moms made us immediately accepting of each other.” – anonymous survey answer
“I was worried about the price, but I would have paid 10x more for what I got.” – anonymous survey answer
“Thank you so much for putting on this wonderful retreat! It was EXACTLY what I needed as a mom! I loved every minute of it and wish it could have gone on for a full week! I came home with a completely new perspective – I feel like that time really made me appreciate my children so much more and strengthened my desire to develop strong relationships with them. I came away with so many ideas and systems that I want to implement. I know it will take some time, but I have started working on a few and it has helped me to enjoy motherhood so much already.
One thing I’ve already implemented was someone’s idea to make sure and tell your child something from that day they did that you appreciate or something about them you love right before they go to sleep at night. I have found this is helpful for both of us – it makes the child feel good and also makes me feel happy and more grateful for them, especially after just getting through the hectic bedtime routine. It is nice to say goodnight to them on a positive note.
I have also started focusing on being more present when I am with my children. I have cut back on phone and laptop time, and I really try to look at them when they are talking and to show my excitement for the little things (like looking at flowers that have bloomed).
I really loved learning about thriving in motherhood rather than just surviving it. And it was a breath of fresh air to talk about PMS (Perfect Mother Syndrome) and to realize that I am not the only mom that has those feelings of being a failure and never stacking up to those “perfect” moms around us. What a great paradigm shift we were given! If we can just focus on the positive, good things we do each day!
We are also in the process of brainstorming family laws, rewards and positive discipline ideas and I have begun implementing the M.O.M. system. I do not have it full running, but I can honestly say that in less than I week I feel SO much more organized and on top of things. I have gotten several small things done that I’ve been thinking about (and forgetting about) for months. I don’t have stacks of papers everywhere, I know where things are, and I know what has to be done and when. These are brilliant systems!
It has been less than a week since I got home, but it has been a GOOD week. Thank you so much for all of your time and hard work. I love that your goals are helping mothers feel joy and strengthening families – what more could you ask for? I’m hopeful that I can continue on with the motivation this retreat has given me and enjoy every moment with my children!” – Michelle G.
“Fabulous, fabulous, FABULOUS .” – anonymous survey answer
“Awesome, rejuvenating, educational, motivating and also realistic.” – anonymous survey answer
“After the Retreat, I have such a feeling of peace – even amongst my messy house and needy kids. I just feel happy to be blessed to be the mom and I know that I will accomplish the things I want to – but I don’t expect myself to do it all in one day like I used to. It has been a really long time since I’ve had such peace. I am so grateful to have been part of the retreat. Thanks again!” – Kelyn A.
“It was heavenly to hang out and get into great conversations with other women – something I miss so much from my college days! I loved having the time to really talk with other moms about issues and needs that we all share.” – anonymous survey answer
“I just wanted to write you a quick note of appreciation for the retreat. It has literally changed my life, my outlook, and my passion for motherhood. So many times, as the profound truths of Motherhood were being taught, my heart was singing. I’ve always known what sort of mom I wanted to be – but I didn’t know how to get there all by myself. I am in love with all the ideas from the Family Systems. Now I know what to do! I have been truly inspired and you’ve made such a difference in my life!” – Danielle M.
“I haven’t left my kids before so I was worried about getting away. But it was SO good for me! And everyone was totally fine without me. I can see and understand my life much better after getting away from it for even 48 hours.” – anonymous survey answer
“The atmosphere of sharing and laughing and learning was great.” – Susan W.
“I loved the focus on both comforting us and motivating us.” – anonymous survey answer