Battle lines

By Amy W.

Just when I think everyone is getting along, something shatters the balance between working moms and stay-at-home moms.

An email was sent out to some moms that live on my street about setting up a playgroup for those kids starting kindergarten in 2008. My oldest daughter is included in that group of about 10 kids. My daughter already plays with two girls in the neighborhood who will go to public school with her. And their moms represent both worlds – stay-at-home and working moms. The email was to meet during the week during the day. This of course excludes my daughter since I work full time outside the home.

Why can’t we meet one Saturday a month, at a local park or museum or even just someone’s backyard? And why am I letting this bother me so much?

I have been trying to figure that out all morning. Is it the fact that my daughter is excluded from this special playgroup? Honestly no, she plays with many kids on the street and has no problems making friends. When new kids start in her school she handles it well. Is it that I am being excluded? I think I may be onto something.

There are many families on my street, and we all have different home situations – working parents, stay-at-home moms, work-from-home dads, Moms going back to school – and I feel like everyone understands that there are differences and those differences are okay.

Should it be okay that my schedule be considered when this playgroup is formed? I would hope that everyone’s schedule would be considered.

The Mom that sent the email out actually lives right next door to me and knows I work full time. Maybe to her defense she thought I would come home early to be involved in the playgroup. Or maybe she didn’t.

Bottom line, I am the type of person who wants everyone to be happy. I will go out of my way to do something to accommodate everyone. I guess I am just hurt that this wasn’t done for this playgroup. I feel like being excluded made that gap that seems to be disappearing between the working and stay-at-home moms grow.

Amy W. is a "Work It" writer. Read more about her.