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Mommy-dating scene a tough one

by Amy Hatch (Subscribe to Amy Hatch's posts)
Nov 8th 2008 3:00PM

4Comments

Filed under: Opinions

women jumpingHave you ever given someone your phone number, and then sat by the phone just waiting for the sweet, sweet sound of her voice on the other end of the line?

And was that someone ever another mommy?

Oh, yeah, baby, it's mommy-dating is time. And apparently it's just as stressful as actual dating. Trying to find other mothers to connect with over soccer games and Gymboree classes is making women all over America act like nervous, giddy schoolgirls, according to an article in The Boston Globe.

Making female friendships can be dicey under the best of circumstances, because let's face it, girls can be mean. I say that with the full knowledge that I AM a girl, and I HAVE been mean. I've also been on the other side of that fence, peering through the barbed wire and hoping against hope that the mom next to me at story hour with the really cute kid will want to play-date me.

And it isn't enough for her to like me, she also needs to like my kid. Be honest -- have you ever made friends with another parent and absolutely, positively disliked her child? Or maybe your child dislikes her child? Or maybe she's just using you for your Pottery Barn Kids playroom? Or does she want free babysitting? How do I even ask her out?

It makes for a very stressful situation.

One Boston-area mom "hit" on another mother in the diaper-bag section of a toy store. That story had a happy ending, and the two are fast friends today. But what happens if the relationship goes south? Some moms say they are fearful of making new friends in their peer group because so many parents can be judgmental of one another.

I've never been good at making friends, either as a kid or as an adult. For me, having children made it easier to connect with other women -- finally, some common ground. I know that isn't the case for everyone. So what about you? Do you rock the mommy-dating scene or are you a one-woman-mom?

Tags: friends, friendship, making friends, MakingFriends, mommydating, mommywars, motherhood, mothers, women

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