What is Muscat Mums Muscat Mums was formed in 2004 as a non-profit, informal, social and support group for expectant mums and mums of pre-school children. Mothers (and fathers!) of all nationalities are welcome to join Muscat Mums. Muscat Mums is a voluntary organisation aimed at supporting and facilitating the relationship between mothers and children, providing opportunities to promote the physical and social development of infants and children, and also enhancing friendship and support between mothers.
Who manages Muscat Mums We are all mums who volunteer our time to help mums get together and support each other. Each of us puts in whatever time we can, whether it’s an hour a week, a little more, or a lot more. We don’t sit at a desk and we don’t have an office, so please be patient with us if we don’t answer your queries/enquiries straight away - we will get back to you as soon as we can!
Joining Details Who can join? Muscat Mums is for expectant mothers and children. We don’t have a restriction on age but the majority of our activities focus around preschool children and up to 4 years. We have a strict policy of not allowing older siblings to attend the groups of younger children.
My children are all over 4, can I still join for the discounts? Mums are not allowed to renew their membership to continue receiving discounts.
How do I join? Email us on admin@muscatmums.com with your contact details, together with the name(s) and date of birth(s) of your children, so that we can communicate with you regarding the correct groups. We will then be in touch through our group co-ordinators, who will advise details of date, time and place of the next group meeting. Please allow 5 – 7 days for us to get back to you.
How much does it cost to join? To become a member you will have to pay a small annual contribution. However, as we are a non-profit organisation, all funds collected are put into running Muscat Mums.
How do I renew my membership? We will contact you via email closer to the date of your renewal. Fees can be paid to your group coordinator when you next attend a group meeting or event.
I don’t want to renew my membership? Please let us know in advance so that we can remove your details from our email list. Please email us on Mail@muscatmums.com.
What happens if I don’t pay my membership fees? We encourage you pay your fees at the earliest. If we do not receive your fees within 1 month of the renewal notice, we will email you to find out if it is your intention to renew. Through email we will advise how to hand over your fees should you wish to renew. If communication is unsuccessful we will assume that you do not wish to renew and will remove you from the membership list.
Where do I get my membership card? We currently do not have membership cards for members.
Why do I have to pay an annual fee if Muscat Mums is a non-profit group? Annual fees are used to finance and subsidize events, new toys and repairs for toys. The annual Easter Egg Hunt, Halloween Party and Christmas parties are good examples of this. When you attend these functions, you pay for the food and beverages, Muscat Mums provides the decorations, treats and gifts for the children.
How can I be more involved with Muscat Mums? Muscat Mums is a volunteer based group and we are always looking for more help and assistance. If you have a skill set that you would like to contribute then we would love to hear from you. We are always looking for new and exciting ideas and activities for our kids.
How can I contact other mums before I join Muscat Mums? To find other mums in Muscat you can join our Facebook group (Muscat Mums) – we have over 700 users. Alternatively you can email us directly (mail@muscatmums.com) and we can put a message on our weekly bulletin and ask one of our members if they would be happy to get in touch. Or you may also post a note on the message board of this website.
Where can I get a list of events for this month? Click on the link to the Calendar for a listing of group events being held in the current month.
Hosting and our Weekly group meetings What is hosting? Once a week, on a voluntary basis, a Muscat Mum hosts a group meeting (coffee morning) at her home
How do I attend one of the group events? Contact us on mail@muscatmums.com and the group coordinator for the group will advise you of the date, time and location of the next group session. You can also check our calendar which has brief details of Muscat Mum’s events. Once you are a member you will receive a weekly email advising of the next group meeting details. You may also check the calendar for brief information.
Can I come along and try out a few sessions first? Of course! In fact we encourage it. You can attend up to 3 sessions before you decide if this is something for you. This does not include events related to Easter, Halloween or Christmas.
Where can I get directions to next group meeting? All members receive emails from mail@muscatmums.com from their group coordinator with details of the date, time and location of the meeting and specification information. On receiving this information we would appreciate if you can call/text the host with your intention on attending, so she can prepare the relevant drinks and snacks.
Why do some group meetings have limited numbers? It is the host’s decision on how many guests she would like in her house at one time. Generally the reasons for limiting the number of guests are that it may be your first time hosting, or space is limited. Also, we are such a large group that 30+ kids/parents can seem daunting! We do not have a problem with limiting numbers, however if you are limiting we would appreciate that the minimum request is 10.
What if the group is full? If the group meeting is full, then we recommend you follow the back up alternative, if one is mentioned in the email to you.
I’m hosting - what do I do? The event is very much a simple social gathering, so a few drinks (e.g. water, juice, tea, coffee) along with a few snacks (e.g. melon, carrots, cucumber, biscuits, crisps) are all that is required.
I'm a working mum can my nanny host on my behalf? Unfortunately not! Muscat Mums group is about Mums (or Dads) and their children up to the relevant ages. Mums must always be in attendance at all times.
I need to change the time of the group meeting, is this ok? We prefer not to change the timing of the meeting as this is a fixed weekly event. However, in the odd circumstance that a change is necessary, then we may be able to accommodate it. If this is the case, please get in touch with your group co-ordinator as soon as possible, who will consider your circumstances and advise group members of the change in details
I don’t have enough toys? If you don’t have enough toys then please let the group coordinator knows in advance so she can advise group members via email. Alternatively, the host can get in touch with the toy library coordinator and toys can be supplied through this channel too.
I would like to host, how do I become a host? Once a month the group coordinators will send out an email advising that they are looking for hosts for the upcoming month. If you would like to host then this is the time to respond with the date you would like, together with your guest limit (if necessary) and directions. The final decision is with the group coordinator who finalises the calendar for the month. If you are selected she will advise you.
Is it OK not to host? We do actively encourage you to host, however it is not compulsory.
What if I have to cancel, how do I do this? Cancellations do and can take place. If you find that due to unforeseen circumstance you have to cancel, then please let the group coordinator know as soon as possible so that alternative hosting can be found.
What is the minimum guest limit I can host for? 10. However, more is encouraged!
How do I get the email bulletin. When do I get my email bulletin? We send out our email bulletin every Saturday. If you are a paid up member then your details will be on the system and we will dispatch the email to you. If you have paid but not received an email bulletin, then please let us know as soon as possible. Please allow 5 – 7 days for your details to be processed.
Can I put a message out on the email bulletin? Yes, you can. Pleas email your message to bulletin@musctmums.com and we will see that it is included in the bulletin. Please note the email is sent on a Saturday, so if you want your message to be included, it must be received by Friday afternoon at the latest. Messages received after this time will be included in the following week's email.
Can I advertise my business on the newsletter? Promotion on the website and bulletin is restricted, and our general policy is that you can only advertise products and services which we deem to be beneficial to our members. If you wish to promote your business on our website or bulletin, please apply by sending us an email on mail@muscatmums.com and we will consider your promotion.
Other information
Does Muscat Mums have a Facebook page? Yes, we do . It's called Muscat Mums. It’s an active page and we are happy to have Muscat Mums contribute. You can link to this Facebook page via the home page of this Muscat Mum's website.
Does Muscat Mums have a blog? Yes, we do. The blog is a new feature to Muscat Mums, and we try and contribute to it one or twice a month with relevant stories from key child-related websites.
