Discussion Topics for Women's Groups

The coffee klatch was the 50's gathering where women sat to talk over cups of coffee and dessert. Today's women's groups can be a gathering place for women to discuss books, compare life notes, seek advice, find mentors or just talk. Women gather together in many places including: their homes, churches, workplaces and spas. The feeling of community and shared experiences is what continues to bring women together into groups.

Women often look to other women for friendship because of their experiences as women in many stages of life from being single to married with kids. Finding friends that are women offers the chance for talking, sharing, venting frustrations or going out as a group. A women's group can even discuss what qualities make for a good friend. Female friendships are often comforting during difficult life situations because women can discuss hard situations like childbirth, raising children, divorce or jobs. In the same way, female friendships also offer the chance to celebrate and be happy for successes, new babies and other life changes. If these female friends form groups, the women in the group can share in the positive and negative aspects of their lives as well as shared experiences like work or raising children.

Within groups of women, marriage is a subject that comes up in many stages of life from being single, engaged, married, divorced or widowed. For example, this is a good place for older women who have been married longer to mentor younger women contemplating marriage. Within a group discussion about marriage, the group might individually explore what women expect when they get married, and also have discussions what they might realistically expect. Having a wide range of ages and marital statuses in the group can be helpful. A woman that has been married for 50 years would offer a different perspective than a newlywed. Sharing those experiences from different age groups expands the bond between women. However, a group of women that are all at the same marriage points can also be fun because of the many shared interests and experiences.

The definition of family is not the same as the definition of a marriage. While a married couple is a family in itself, the broader definition of family involves raising children and dealing with the pressures and difficulties that accompany motherhood. A topic that might come in a women's group geared around marriage could be a guided discussion about couples keeping the romance alive when kids have a tendency to take up a lot of the parents' time. A mom's group bring up the subjects of raising kids of all ages and the differences that moms can expect from infancy all the way through the teenage years. In a group of older moms, women might talk about having adult children and how they are handling the "empty nest."

Beauty is a subject that encompasses inner and outer beauty. Women may feel like they don't have time to devote to beauty treatments or themselves overall. A mom's group activity could be planning a group spa-type or pedicure day for relaxation. While the natural conversation might be discussing nail polish colors, more in-depth conversations could look at what beauty means in today's media and celebrity life. That then could lead to chats about beauty fears or a lack of confidence about appearances among women with kids or working moms. On the positive side, sharing beauty tips and tricks can be a way for women to further connect through a love of favorite beauty projects.