The One With The "Playdate."

Lets stop bullshitting ourselves-, when we set up playdates for our kids the main reason for doing so is because you like the other mom and want to hang out. Its a playdate for the moms..the kids just happen to be there. It's a mom-date. Sure, it's wonderful that the kids get to socialize and experience situations they wouldn't experience playing alone or with a parent but it is really for us. 

Surprisingly, I have made more friends since giving birth than I've made since freshman year of college. Pre-baby I never would have met someone in the grocery store, had a 20 minute conversation then exchanged email addresses but I have now done that. As moms we'll meet another mom while going about our day and take one anothers numbers, exchange email addresses or friend the person on facebook and start talking about how "we should have a playdate!" I mean really, Hayden babbles a lot but its not like she's having scintillating conversations with someone elses baby leading me to think she would really enjoy continuing this conversation over a nice warm bottle at a playdate. 

"We should have a playdate" is code for "You don't seem too crazy and I think we could get along well...we should get together" but since that is an insanely awkward thing for most people to say we use the playdate disguise..and I am in no way putting down this trickster way to gain mom-friends. It works and it often hooks us up with even more moms. I have met some of my closest mom-friends this way (under the veil of a playdate.) I just think it sucks that so many of us have to wait to have kids to feel confident enough to befriend another parent that you feel a momentary connection with.

I don't know if its the fact that you grew a human, gave birth and are now raising another person or if its because being a mom makes you feel a connection to other moms as if you are in the same club or if its because you can use this "playdate" as a cover-up but having kids gives you a confidence nothing else can.

Haydens first mom-date "playdate"