First, this:

Secondly, I want to talk about something I know nothing about: establishing and maintaining relationships with the parents of the children my daughter befriends. You guys? How does this stuff work? I received a call this morning from a woman who is the mother of my daughter's "boyfriend". Apparently, our nannies hang out every day and our babies are, like, totally going out. So, this woman called me to arrange a play date for our babes and for us to meet. I was thrilled! I don't have very many Mommy friends here in NYC where there is little pressure to have a kid before the age of 40. But, now I'm also nervous. What if we don't click? What if she's crazy? What if she thinks I'm crazy (she'd be right)? Will my daughter still marry her son even though their Mommies don't get along? I'm mostly joking, but there is a real fear here that my ability or lack thereof to establish and maintain a friendship with this woman (or any other parent) will impact my daughter's friendships from now until eternity.

I joined a Mommy Group in our neighborhood for the sole purpose of meeting other Moms and to encourage some healthy social interaction for my girl. Before the first meeting I felt like I was getting ready for a date: butterflies in my stomach, debating what to wear, hair up or hair down? When I walked up to the group of Mothers, I smiled broadly and introduced myself and my little girl. It quickly became obvious that my little girl was the only mobile one in the group. She looked like baby Godzilla as she crawled around all of the younger babies, taking off their hats and pulling at the other Mothers' necklaces. While I knew that she wasn't hurting anyone, I could see that the other Moms were nervous, which in turn made me nervous, so I made up an excuse and left. Throughout the brief gathering, I also learned that I was one of two ladies in the whole group who worked at a job 5 days a week. This also made me feel left out in a way. I'm not proud of this, but, I never went back. I wanted so badly for it to work but it just didn't.

All of which brings me back to my original point: YOU GUYS? How does this stuff work? Please share with me your experiences, wherever you may live and whether you are a working Mom at home or a working Mom at work.

Oh, and, Happy Monday!