I'm on a mission to find a mom's group, or a parent's group. This is also known as market research as I'm as yet unemployed and on a constant lookout for niches to fill. So here's a rundown of my results:
Pros:
- Meets near me, so near that I could walk
- Plans activities outside group meetings
- Appears to have male members, ones who aren't married...more market research?
Cons:
- Seems to be some drama, judging from the message boards (yeah, I lurked...and?) there's reference to a member finding other groups that are "more accepting of differences." Yikes, I'm scared. I'm pretty socially compliant, but different in my own special ways, darnit. And I don't wanna have to defend them.
- On said message board, one of the members (evidently a leader) reminds us that "kids are welcome at meetings, but we don't have anything planned for them so they'll probably be bored." Um, thanks. Is planning something for kids to do so hard? Coloring books, anyone? Mind you, these are single parents (or divorcees, as it were). What, pray tell, are we supposed to do with the little monsters?
- 'Without' in the name implies some lack that I certainly don't feel in my life. How about 'Independent Parents' or something?
- Appears to have male members...yeah I'm bitter. So?
2. Parent to Parent - this is my school district's community ed group
Pros: It's fine, really. Doesn't cost much, led by a licensed parent educator, meets at a convenient time, good conversations...
Cons:
- Lateness! Aarghhh...the first meeting began at 9:45, but people walked in for the next half hour. Same was true the second time around. Yeah, whatever not everybody is as punctual as I. No excuse. None.
- Kinda clique-y , I think
- School-centered. I'm already involved enough at school, and can't. take. any. more.
Pros: unknown, but welcoming email to my introduction
Cons: um? hello? here I sit. We were supposed to start at 5:00 right? At the library right? Yup, I confirmed with the staff. hello? anybody? Screw it, I'm gone.
Sidebar: So I went to get coffee before my next meeting...sign on the wall of the coffee shop read "unattended children will be given an espresso and a free puppy." Teehee.
4. MOMS Club
Pros: seems to be pretty organized, with advertising and stuff (maybe eliminates #3 above)
Cons: geared to SAHM...yeah, so I'm at home, but I don't know that it's by choice
5. Third grade mamas eucre and wine nights
Aaahhh, the best of all worlds - cards, wine, mamas. We don't talk about parenting, we're not organizing for social change, it's a good ol' fashioned hen-fest. And I could employ Moria for years on the babysitting referrals alone. Big fun, but I'm still looking for more.
So, the moral, you ask? At the library as I was waiting, I picked up a local free mag Moms Network (30K readership?! Are you kidding me?). Here's a sample of the topics covered:
organization
staving off boredom in the winter
simplify life
frugal living
life coaching
simplifying the holidays
working at home
resolutions that stick
slowing down
simplifying...
Did I mention simplifying? Evidently the last thing most parents (read: mamas) want is another thing on the calendar like a support group. I think its a chicken or egg question, though. Is life so crazy because we try to do everything ourselves, are cut off from community and are drowning in our own material excess? Would a real support group replace the community that we lack? Would a real supportive group of friends allow us to share in some of the life work that so desperately needs simplification? What if Wisteria Lane were real life, and we walked across the street to ask our neighbor/girlfriend to watch our kiddos quicklike so we could run to the store, and the retired lady down the block babysat for us, and we drank wine out of coffee cups on the porch, and we had each other over for supper, and the gardner was hot...but I digress. What if? Did the craziness cause our lack of connection or did losing those connections cause the craziness?
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