Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Playgroup dynamics

Amy Sedaris is making an appearance on Sesame Street today! She's acting as a rather sardonic Snow White, but perhaps this is old news to all you other mamas out there? My circle is admittedly limited these days...

I do get out sometimes though. This morning I took Bean to her usual Tuesday morning playgroup and left feeling a little thrill that I'm beginning to make friends with my 2 favorite group mamas. We're the moms with the daughters, whereas the other 2 moms have sons that are several months younger. The moms-of-girls are all meeting at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham in a few days to hang out again while the kids are hopefully engrossed in the outdoor water play area. We made this plan after the moms-of-sons had already left, but no one mentioned getting in touch with those moms to include them.

I've been secretly hoping that for some reason those moms would just stop being interested in the playgroup because one of them talks non-stop about either t.v. shows or what her son will and won't eat that week. Seriously. You can barely get a word in edgewise. The other one is quite pregnant and feeling so low energy that she says she's going to start sending in her mom with her son instead of coming with him herself. No one's talked about this, but I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I suppose the playgroup is meant for the kids. But really, it's at least half for the moms to get together and have some grown-up conversation, enjoying the dynamic we've put together, right? Now, one of my very favorite friends happens to be a childless woman more than 20 years my senior, so I can assure you that I have no problem hanging out with older ladies. But this mom's mom ain't one of my favorite friends. Yes, I have met her.

Maybe playgroup outside of playgroup is the way to work this. It's not worth getting all junior high bitchy and cutting off any little kids just because a couple of the moms aren't my cup of tea.

4 comments:

Mama D said...

Is it weird that reading this post made me paranoid you wouldn't like me if we were in your playgroup? I'm dumb like that. I hope you'd like me.

I don't do any playgroups but I'm sure I would struggle with the same stuff. In face at my LLL meetings there are a few ladies that are not my favorites but I tolerate them because of our common interest...

Mike Minzes said...

Great blog. Enjoyed the read. I will be back for more. -0-0-

MJ Tam said...

I feel the same way in a Mommy Group I go to. There is always someone who is "the Mama star" of the playgroup. The one that talk non-stop about everything and of course knows everything. I always dread it when she shows up. At one time, she didn't make it to the playgroup and all the Moms had a nice easy time.

Sugarmama said...

Exactly, Sugarmama! That's what I'm talking about. I'm really not the type to get all cliqueish--I'm just hoping for a quiet, natural change of playgroup mama membership.