Mommy and Mean Group

So I thought "Mommy and Me" groups were supposed to fun?

Then why did I leave so stressed out?

A neighbor of mine invited me to join her at her "Mommy and Me" group. It consists of a group of a dozen or so moms from her church that bring their children ranging from 1 - 5 years old and let them play at a park. My understanding is that the moms get to socialize and the kids run themselves ragged on the playground.

Nice in theory.

Then Grace and I show up. And it looks to all like I raise my daughter in a cave. Any socialization she had disappeared.

She didn't want to play independently on the playground. She needed "mama, mama, mama" (her repetition, not mine) with her to hold her hand.

She didn't want to go down the slide.
She didn't want to play with the other kids.

Oh, but wait, she spotted a boy with a ball. She wanted the ball. But, she didn't realize that might involve approaching the boy. "Mama, mama, mama" wasn't going to get the ball for her. Then the boy dropped the ball seemingly more interested in another activity. "There Grace, there's your chance." But, my daughter moved too slow and soon the ball was swooped up by another youngster. "Sorry kid, that's the way it goes. You snooze, you lose."

That pep-talk didn't work so well. Now we have tears, my little red-headed, red-nosed pill daughter wanted the ball. Sigh. I try to get her to calm down trying to look like a calm mother myself all the while I want to crawl into the nearest jungle gym and hide. I haven't learned to take childish fits in stride. I haven't learned to accept that my child won't always be well-behaved.

So we forget about the ball. The tears dissipate. For now.

Later on, she wants something. What? I still don't quite know, but it warranted tears again in Grace's world. This time I told her to learn some words and then I could help her out. Okay, maybe I just thought that. But really, the pointing gets old sometimes. I feel like I live in a game of 20-Questions.

So fortunately, she calmed down again. Long enough this time I was able to make a polite exit without carrying a screaming child under my arm like I had envisioned earlier.

We get buckled in the car and head home. Grace is asleep in two minutes flat. I sigh. I shed a tear or two. A fun-filled morning I tell you.