« Missing Comments | Main | Book Club »

The Mother's Group is a tough nut to crack.

I remember back before I was a mom, a friend who had recently relocated told me that in her efforts to make some new friends she felt like she was stalking other moms at Story Hour.

"It's like dating again, only worse," she said.

I thought she was exaggerating. After all, moms should have a natural affinity for one another . . . right? We're bonded by diaper changes and leaky breasts and interrupted sleep and that final layer of baby fat that just won't budge off your thighs and ass.

But, as it turns out, she wasn't exaggerating. If anything, she was underestimating how hard it is to break in. Dating, pah . . . men are easy compared with a group of women. These chicks have thirty-plus years of experience with high school cliques and sorority rushes, and are now experts at the cold shoulder. Sam and I just got back from our second Story Hour, and I haven't been able to get anyone there to even make eye contact with me, much less a chance to slide in the ever popular conversation starter, "Your baby is adorable!"

I seem to remember that sharing stickers went a long way toward breaking the ice back in grade school, but something tells me that's not going to work with the In Mommy Clique. What do I have to do? Bring in twenty bottles of chardonnay and get everyone loaded at 9 a.m.?

Actually, maybe that's not such a bad idea . . .

Posted 25 January 2005 at 10:46 AM