Want more peace, order and joy in your home? Want some help building the happy, effective family you dreamed of? If you’re like just about any other parent in the world, you’ll say a big “yes” to both of these questions.
Power of Families Workshops and Retreats are uniquely powerful opportunities for learning, sharing, reflecting and planning.
Part “professional development” in the field of parenthood and part get-away, Power of Families Workshops and Retreats can entail a day-long or weekend gathering where a group of like-minded parents step away from their regular lives to learn from wonderful trainers and from each other and head home empowered with ideas and support.
Our events are designed to unite parents from all backgrounds, regardless of religion, age, or family size. We find common ground in our desires to be purposeful parents.
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, I’ve 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 a great cheerleader for us). We’ve developed robust and replicable Workshop and Retreat programs that have provided wonderful experiences for thousands of parents.
Power of Moms offered Retreats across the United States and in Australia and now, Power of Families is offering workshops and retreats for both moms AND dads. These uniquely fun, meaningful and empowering events give parents 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 parents and people they want to be.
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 parents, parents with younger children or parents 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 Families 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 parents, parents of young children or parents of older children?
Power of Famiies Retreats are for parents of all ages with all ages of children. Retreats help parents with babies and young children to chart successful life courses and enjoy a much-needed break from the daily parenting workload. Parents who have older children will appreciate the principles taught and be able to contribute their experiences to help younger parents. One way or another, if you are a mom or dad who would like to enjoy some time with like-minded parents as you gain ideas to strengthen and your family, a Power of Families Workshop or Retreat would be a great thing for you.
What topics and other elements are included in a Retreat?
Retreat subjects include:
- Building your Family Systems: Family Discipline Practices, Family Economy, Family Traditions and Identity
- Finding More Joy in Parenting
- Effective Parenting Partnerships
- Moving Great Ideas into Reality
Other Retreat elements include:
- Interactive training by top-notch trainers who share plenty of real stories and examples
- Lots of facilitated small-group discussions where we can all learn from each other
- 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)
- The chance to do several assignments from our Family Systems eCourse TOGETHER so you can get ideas and feedback and leave armed with real plans
- Lots of laughter
- Great food (tasty 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 our shorter workshops)
- Relaxation and opportunities to reflect (in the case of a weekend Retreat)
- A network of ongoing online support via a special Facebook Group that will help you really use all that you’ve learned at the Retreat
- Lifetime access to our full Family Systems eCourse materials (worth over $227)
How can I participate in or host a Retreat?
We offer two ways for you to participate in an inspiring and rejuvenating Power of Families 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 Workshop or Retreat usually ranges from $400-$750. 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 Families to put on a Retreat. As a “Retreat Organizer,” you work with The Power of Families 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 or 10-15 couples is optimal for a weekend Retreat, 30-40 for a day-only Workshop) 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 or two, Retreat Organizers can choose to become certified as a “Power of Families Trainer” and can then continue to organize and also conduct Retreats. Retreat Organizers can provide wonderful opportunities for mothers while making a little extra money.
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 Workshop 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 us. 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 30-60 parents 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 Families 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 us at [email protected].
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 attendees, yet the unity we all shared.” – Heather R.
“My husband and I are 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 parents. 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 person and parent I can be.” – anonymous survey answer
“It was so enjoyable to be in an atmosphere of parents 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 great parents made us immediately accepting of each other.” – anonymous survey answer
“I was initially 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).
We are also in the process of brainstorming family laws, rewards and positive discipline ideas. 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. 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 parents 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.
“I loved hearing others’ joys, challenges, questions, etc. and realizing we’re all in it together.” – Kristi E.
“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 and parenthood 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.
“We haven’t left our kids before so I was worried about getting away. But it was SO good for us in so many ways! And everyone was totally fine without us. 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
Click here to see our Upcoming Workshops and Retreats