First Playgroup

Because Ethan has been in daycare for the last 10 months and is used to being around other kids, it's important to me that he continues being around other kids during the summer.  I don't want Ethan to miss out on playtime with other children just because he's home with me all day. Fortunately, I have a few friends with toddlers to set up playdates with. I also went outside my comfort zone and joined two different local playgroups. I don't know any of the other moms in the group, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway because it's a good way for me and Ethan to meet other moms and kids in our town. Ethan picked up a little bug so I didn't bring him to any playgroup functions last week, but now that he's feeling better (and isn't contagious) I took him to his first playgroup yesterday. It was fun for him - lots of kids to play with and a bunch of new toys. It was also pretty cool to step back and see how Ethan interacts with other children. After he warms to the situation, he's certainly not a shy kid. He was going right up to other kids and their moms, handing them toys, taking away toys, and just getting right into the middle of things. He also didn't mind helping himself to any snacks or sippy cups that happened to be laying around. Oh dear. One thing I noticed, and was sort of surprised by, was that kids his age seem not so much to play together but just play near each other.  Did you ever notice this, moms?

I'm glad Ethan had a chance to be around other kids, but this playdate threw our day completely off track. Naps were skipped and then taken late, there was some unexpected crankiness (from both Ethan and myself), and bedtime slipped into the 8 o'clock hour. Needless to say, by the end of the day, I was a little frazzled. Thankfully, my hubby didn't mind that I left the house for a few hours to have some time to myself for a little bit. It's amazing what a freshly groomed set of eyebrows and a little retail therapy can do for a girl's mood!