Drink
I propose a new game for playgroup moms who decide to get together after hours. In the MOMS Club to which I belong (please reserve judgement at least till the end of this post), we call these monthly get-togethers "MOMS Night Out."
An ideal MNO, in my mind, is one where each mother must take a shot every time she talks about her child(ren). Two shots if it's a story we've all heard before. Three shots if it involves poop (granted, I myself would probably rack up a bit of a buzz on this one since I can't resist a well recollected crap caper). Half a bottle of Jagermeister in one swig if we have to hear how many gold stars your daughter earned today in pre-school.
I know many mothers. I know their children. I am familiar with the eating and excreting habits of 40 kids under the age of 5. I am perfectly happy being a vessel of such information. The stories are often enlightening, entertaining and useful. But in casual discourse, we're always moms. Is it too much to ask that we have on night, once a month, to learn about each other as people?
Motherhood has helped me forge a stronger identity as a woman. I am a deeper thinker, a better writer, and a more confident professional since I gave birth to my daughter. I love to tell people her stories. I value learning from others how to be a better mom. But, sometimes, I want to talk about other aspects of life. We're wives, too. We're daughters. We're employees or students. We're advocates. We're travelers. We're products of completely diverse upbringings.
So, let's talk about it! Of course we are mothers, and no conversation need deny that fact. But let's use that status to heighten discussions about those other aspects of our being, to lend perspective to conditions we may not have fully understood until now. I see that kind of introspection all the time in this little 'burg of the blogosphere, but in my real life there's a void.
Unfortunately, I don't think too many moms in my club would go for such a drinking game. It's a damn shame, too. A few poop stories and some triple-shots later, I probably won't even care that we're all still talking about our children.
An ideal MNO, in my mind, is one where each mother must take a shot every time she talks about her child(ren). Two shots if it's a story we've all heard before. Three shots if it involves poop (granted, I myself would probably rack up a bit of a buzz on this one since I can't resist a well recollected crap caper). Half a bottle of Jagermeister in one swig if we have to hear how many gold stars your daughter earned today in pre-school.
I know many mothers. I know their children. I am familiar with the eating and excreting habits of 40 kids under the age of 5. I am perfectly happy being a vessel of such information. The stories are often enlightening, entertaining and useful. But in casual discourse, we're always moms. Is it too much to ask that we have on night, once a month, to learn about each other as people?
Motherhood has helped me forge a stronger identity as a woman. I am a deeper thinker, a better writer, and a more confident professional since I gave birth to my daughter. I love to tell people her stories. I value learning from others how to be a better mom. But, sometimes, I want to talk about other aspects of life. We're wives, too. We're daughters. We're employees or students. We're advocates. We're travelers. We're products of completely diverse upbringings.
So, let's talk about it! Of course we are mothers, and no conversation need deny that fact. But let's use that status to heighten discussions about those other aspects of our being, to lend perspective to conditions we may not have fully understood until now. I see that kind of introspection all the time in this little 'burg of the blogosphere, but in my real life there's a void.
Unfortunately, I don't think too many moms in my club would go for such a drinking game. It's a damn shame, too. A few poop stories and some triple-shots later, I probably won't even care that we're all still talking about our children.
I would be up for that group, however something tells me the drive home would be far too long a commute.
ReplyDeleteIf motherhood ever releases me from California & immediate environs, count me in. My kids are way past the poop stage, but I figure that resistance to discussion of grandchildren should earn me a double, at the very least.
ReplyDeleteI found you via your comment re: cats on Linda's "Are We Thee Yet" blog through the Norwich Bulletin. Your 09.14 post "On Blogging" is a gem. I've been mentally gnawing the point of personal blogs for a long time. You gave me something to think about. Thanks...and thank your amazingly restrained pooch for not chewing up that stupid cat.
This post reminded me of something I read in March. It is by Cyn Kitchen and it is a description of a Mom's Night Out. It is a little presumptuous of me to put a link in here, but if you are interested, this was among the best of blog posts I've read so far:
ReplyDeletehttp://cynkitchen.blogs.com/cynkitchen/2006/03/it_could_be_wor.html
You are right about the need to leave the kid talk behind!
Oh, oh, I'll play! But only if we drink tequila.
ReplyDelete"Crap caper" -- best. line. ever.
Sign me up for your mom's club.
ReplyDeleteI'm in. And I have some glorius crap capers that I could share...
i'm up for it! (can my cat stories count? i think of them as my children!)
ReplyDeleteCan I join that Moms group? I can't tell you how many times I've wanted the women/mothers I sometimes go out with to stop talking about their kids and start talking about themselves. Talk about your kids occasionally, fine. All the time? I'll pass.
ReplyDeleteAmen! One of the great things about Catherine's visit here this past month was that one you get past all the talk about kids and blogs you really start to get to know each other. I think we hardly talked about our kids at all. There was so much more to learn about each other; I mean, we were "not moms" for many many more years than we have been moms.
ReplyDeleteLMAO! We should try it tonight. Can you imagine what the hubs would say if I called him up in the middle of the night to wake the kids up and come get me because I'm too smashed to drive the mile home?
ReplyDeleteBut your right, most people wouldn't go for it.
Please count me in. I am so much more than just my kids mom but being the mother of toddlers has really limited my exposure to people who dont want to just talk about naps and peanut allergies.
ReplyDeleteI would like a few non-mother writing "assignments" so I can stretch out on my blog a bit. Would ou care to throw down some homework for a virtual moms-group?
How about a crap caper involving adults? Would that count?
This is one reason why I love my friend Stacey. We have loads and loads of non-kid stuff to discuss, and we have a great time doing it, no shots required.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is also a reason why I love reading bloggers who discuss more than children and motherhood. Yes, those can be stimulating topics, but there's so much more to all of us.
I'm in - got any room at the table?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to add four shots of tequila for anyone who gives a play-by-play of their kid's last soccer game.
I think a drinking game is an excellent idea! I might propose it amongst my group of friends. Frankly, I'm tired of talking about the children. I love them, but JEEEEEZ. When do I get to become my own person again? I suppose that's when I end up six feet under.
ReplyDeleteI'm all about it. However, I agree that it's hard to find like minded moms.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I'm outsy with the preggers thing. But count me in later.
How far is the drive from Philly to CT? :)
I have a mamas night out this week. I think I'll suggest this and then commence getting plastered and falling asleep in my neighbors back yard.
ReplyDelete