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My Finest Work Why Playgroups Piss Me Off | Why Playgroups Piss Me Off | | Print | |
| Written by Joeprah | |
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Playgroups are lady-folk-code for "Gossip Session"
I would have to say that I am battle-tested at this point when it comes to my expectations at "playgroups." No longer do I go into the melee expecting to come out unscathed or for that matter wanting to return. In my earlier years as a bold faced rookie I went into playgroups innocent without expectation. Let me explain, I thought the point of "playgroups" was to let the kids interact with one another under the watchful supervision of the parents present, but what I came to discover was that the "playgroups" that I frequented centered around women gossiping and eating while I tended to the kids. Every once in a while I would sit on these intellectual round table discussions based on what TV hunk was yummiest or why some friend (not present) would wear something like she did. Time, in a situation like this for a guy, does not move. The ladies would invariably ask me not to tell "so and so" what was said about her. My response is always the same in that situation,
"Your secret is safe with me because I don't care."
It was like I got stuck at the girls table at lunch time back in middle school.
Community PlaygroupsI actually was asked to run a community based playgroup in my initial year as a stay at homer and agreed citing rookie blindness. I was in charge of setting up toys in community center with mats underneath all of which took me about 30 minutes. I did this while I watched my 9 month old, and it wasn't easy. After all was said and done I opened the gym and let dozens of families in to slobber over ever toy and splat mat I put out. During the two hour gym time I would maybe get 5 minutes of interaction with any of the moms in the place. It was as if I didn't exist. You're welcome. They would all leave and I would clean and put away everything and wondered why I was there. If it wasn't for my strong desire to have my daughter exposed to other kids and for her to enjoy the heck out of herself I would of hermitized (word? sp? I don't care) myself. Not that I am bitter. I have found a much better way to find out if I am going to be able to stomach a groups company as I have gotten more experienced. Advice:Are you a stay at home dad or a dad that is home on occasion with his kids? Are you just starting out in the playgroup game? My advice to you is go to them for your kids and if any stimulating adult conversation or interaction comes from it then stick with that group. Otherwise, keep your options open and always be looking for another gig. Also, another great bit of advice is to host playgroups occasionally at your place. That way the ladies feel less apt to talk amongst themselves and ignore you. Make a big deal out of it. Clean your house and give the ladies nothing to talk about later on (because you know they will). Provide everything from coffee to fruit salad and bagels and watch the eyebrows rise. Carry on.
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As a stay at home dad I found out pretty quickly that:
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