Another article written by Betsy and me….Enjoy.
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Let me just start by saying that there’s nothing wrong with playgroups. Really. They are awesome and necessary and well loved by many moms. Unfortunately, the “organized” ones weren’t quite my cup o’ tea.
To be fair, I haven’t been to very many groups. Actually, I’ve only been to two. But both of them made me feel very un-motherly. And I make myself feel that way just fine already, so I really don’t need any encouragement from others.
I think in order to fix the issues we’re having with these “organized” playgroups, we need to require that all playgroups have names that describe exactly what they’re about (or not about). Too many of them just go by the name of the area they’re in, like “Carmel Mountain Mommies.” It’s misleading.
For example, one of the playgroups I attended should have been named “Scrapbook or Bust.” These moms were very into their crafty ways. Let me again say that’s totally cool. More power to those of you who find love and freedom in your craft. It’s just that I would much rather pay you to do mine than sit and do it myself. After all, I have my own addictions to feed…like gossip magazines and blogging.
The other playgroup I tried out was a bit more stuffy than I’d like to think myself to be.
I mean, I may not be high class, but I’m sure I do have some class.
Unfortunately, the other moms didn’t seem to think so when I showed up for the “Mommy’s Night Out” with doughnuts in hand. I heard snickers and snide remarks:
“Oh, my, who brought doughnuts?”
And, “Are you kidding me, are those really doughnuts?”
To which I replied, “What?!? Mama needed some doughnuts! Why you gotta diss? Shooot . . .” (And by “replied,” I mean, of course, that I thought it in my head! Come on now, I said I have some class!!!)
So, you see, if they had just named their playgroup “Moms That Are Too Good for Doughnuts,” I never would have found myself in that situation to begin with.
Because I could never be part of a group that didn’t embrace fried bread and frosting.
Oh, and that same playgroup, the “I Hate Doughnuts” one? They have a message board that I used from time to time. I officially knew it wasn’t the group for me when I posted a message asking which BPA free bottles would be best to use.
And instead of help, I got a backlash of whisper and chatter:
“Who is that girl asking about bottles? Ugh, I just wanted to respond, ‘Doesn’t she know that Breast Is Best?'”
(I have an insider in the group, so I know these things!)
I mean, come on now! At least I was asking about BPA FREE bottles!
Don’t I get some credit for that?
Anyway, I’ve decided that I just need to start my own playgroup. After all, it’s a requirement that seems to go with motherhood (along with breastfeeding). You simply must be affiliated with a playgroup. It’s the unspoken word on the street.
So I’ll call mine:
“Moms who pay scrapbookers to scrapbook for them, who love to read and gossip about celebrities, who don’t want to talk about their kids when they’re with other adults, who could care less who breastfeeds or formula feeds, who wouldn’t mind having a glass of wine at playgroup, and who want to pair that wine with a nice big ol’ doughnut.”
That’s the playgroup I’m looking for!
Fellow Mamas, are you in?
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{to read the entire article, including Betsy’s HILARIOUS part, click here!}
© 2009 “Le Musings of Moi”
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Me, me, me, me! I’m in! *Hand raised in air and waving around*
We have “Moms on Meds” there’s only two of us but we have bumper stickers.
I am going to go get me a baby just to be a part of your playgroup.
“Moms That Are Too Good for Doughnuts” hahaha. The funniest part is that I know those kind of moms. ugh.
I’m in! We have very similar playgroups.
Except mine is a ranking system, don’t bother attending if your husband is not an officer, that kind of thing. Which sucks because I never believed in my husband’s rank as my own.
Oh well! I’ve met a ton of “misfit moms” who suit my just fine! LOL!
How about…”that don’t necessarily want to have a playgroup that involves children?”
I am SO IN!
when we lived in sd I lived in Carmel Mountain 🙂
Love this :)))
I’m totally in…you had me with ‘donuts’!
I will have to keep my guard up when searching out the ‘play groups’ in my area!
:))) SIGN ME UP MAMA!
Can we include in the title the obsession with blogging! Maybe we could even have our laptops in tow! 🙂
I’m all for that wine!
and if you let me join the playgroup, i can bring my teens and they can BABYSIT so we CAN have that glass of wine!
I’m not a fellow mama, but your playgroup is the kind that I’d join if I was!! I absolutely do not want to be a mom who talks about nothing but diapers and burping and my kids, and I kinda felt guilty about that like it would mean I’d be a bad mom, so it is SO refreshing to know there are real-life mamas out there who feel the same way I do!! Game on to wine and doughnuts!!!!
xoxo J
Can I do your scrapbooks? LOL I love to scrapbook; I just don’t have the cash to do it. And it takes me 15 times longer than it used to. LOL
But that’s how I feel about moms period. I’ve never been to a playgroup. How do you find them?
I recently started reading your blog. I dunno like 3 weeks ago… but you are hilarious! sign me up, I am in need of a club like yours.
i’m in. sign me up. is this a traveling mama’s group? don’t think i can make the frequent trips to Ca. i used to belong to a national mom’s organization. it was fine for a while, then ladies started trying to push their agendas on me, and i was not cool with that. i’m like you in that i prefer not to talk about kids and breastfeeding. i prefer magazines and celeb gossip and reality tv. i left the club and haven’t joined another since. it’s sad, though. i have no friends cuz no one around here is into the gossip and fashion and hollywood and tv…it’s depressing. i’m thankful for my twitter and bloggy friends. i feel as though i belong to something. take care.
I’m not a mom… but can I join your playgroup anyway?
I am so there! When and where? I went to one that made me feel so less than because I had a csection and didn’t have a “birth story” What? My birth story of “He was HUGE and they cut me, he came out screaming” That’s not good enough?
I hate play groups… for this exact reason!
I have no interest in reverting to high school cliques and games now that I have popped three babies out. And yes, I want donuts. NO I don’t want to talk about my kids or boobs or crap, and thank you for the glass of wine.
I LOVE THIS. I mean, I don’t have children, you know this. But but but…IF AND WHEN I DO, can I be a part of your playgroup? HELL. Can I be a part of it now any way? Moms who only talk about their kids and dont eat donuts=zzzzz….YOU=FABULOUS.
Sign me up!!
I tried out a playgroup years ago where you had to wear mom-jeans and sell something like Crayola products or Tastefully Simple. Again–not that there’s anything wrong with that–but sitting in a circle week after week watching a demonstration while your waistband rubs your belly button raw was not my idea of good bonding. Bring on the donuts!
I want in your playgroup!
I totally understand. When I get looks cause I’m the only mom who hasn’t taken my 18 month old to the dentist, I feel awkward. Being a mom is hard enough without pressure from other moms. That said, I’m going to have a glass of wine at a playgroup for me, myself and I.
I’m lucky. I’m in a mom’s group like that. We drink wine. We gossip. We wouldn’t turn down a free donut. Or two. Or three. Some scrapbook. Others drink wine while watching the scrapbooking. We also attend midnight showings of New Moon. Just sayin’.