Play Dates: Helpful or Harmful?

So this morning I was stress'n trying to get my kids all out the door and to the post office as soon as they opened to avoid the huge line that was sure to form. When I realized I could possibly make morning happy hour at Sonic my heart palpitations started in. When I ask them to put their socks on Izzie instantly had a case of amnesia and couldn't remember how to. When I ask them to find their shoes they grabbed a mag-light and wondered in circles "hunting for treasure"...which was apparently Not the shoes I ask them to find. More of those Rrrr moments.

Whatev's. We made it alive to Sonic with breakfast in tow. We made it to the post office 2nd in line. Ugg. By now it was 9:15am. We were all fully dressed in our adorable new fall attire. All dressed up and now where to go. All that stress for that stress for 20 minutes of errands. Not Cool Mom! I was stressed. I'm sure they were stressed. So what does every evil mother do who rushed her kids like a mad women out of the house so early in the morning do? She takes her sweet babes to the park!

We swung around the corner with the "agreement" that we would stay a full hour if there was no whining when it was time to go. Wes screeched out tires into the parking lot and unloaded the crew like clowns out of the car once again. Watching my babes sprint toward the playground while breathing the crisp fresh fall air was just what I needed. And Totally what they needed: good dose of vitamin D and room to run!

We weren't there long when several more cars started making their was to fill in the few parking spots left. Slowly three other moms and two other toddlers trickled onto the scene. Being the single mom at the park with 3 littles I was playing 3 on 1 rather than our normal zone. But in between catching jumpers off the top of the slide platform and pushing swings, I took great joy in creeping on these ladies. I was intrigued.

They were all together. They planned to meet there to hang out. This was a full-fledged play date! This wasn't their 1st time either. They gathered at a picnic table right next to the playground with small lunch boxes they pulled out of their mom bags along with sippy cups and wipies. The little boy sat by his mommy and ate his healthy snackage she'd laid out for him. the small girl headed straight for the slide. This was a routine. The mom's jumped right into a conversation as if they were picking it up from where they left of last time. I could hardly tell which mom belonged to which child. None of them looked too much a like. They weren't family. Just three mom friends who met to hang out while their kids played.

I have to be honest. I was jealous. I wanted to walk over and act like I belonged. To jump right into the conversation about their older ones fits as they dropped them off at school. I wanted to show up early {or late} and not be the wierdo. I wanted to wear my T and comfy pants {or cutesy shirt and jeans} and still belong. How do women accomplish this.

I've tried. I've had a couple very successful play dates! It was usually just one other mom with her kids but one of my favorites was one at this same park with like four moms and a pile of kids. Every time I think, This, THIS is what I long for. Can we do this weekly? That's when it all falls through the cracks. One mom couldn't make it or we had to take off a week...or a month. With tons of other things going on. Too many schedules to coordinate. So we just don't do it again. Life got in the way.

The kids continued to play while I kinda pouted and I called my hubs, who was out of town. Then I saw it. The small girl, about 20 months old had escaped. She's scaled the wall holding in all the wood chips {who came up with jagged wood for kids to play on anyways?} in place under the playground equipment and was picking up speed down the grassy hill heading straight for the road. I quickly stuck my phone in my back pocket and ran after her. She hit the pavement so quickly she stumbled a bit giving me time to slide across the dew covered grass in front of her. "Ava! {the adorable name I heard them call her} We don't need to play down here. Lets head back up to the toy." As we walked hand in hand back to the playground she mom caught a glimpse of us out of the corner of her eye. She scrabbled to get to us, thanking me and then having a discussion about playground safety with her daughter.

Shortly after the road episode I heard a loud scary thud and a child's panics cry which makes every mother in the park jump to her feet. It was the little boy. He had been sitting next to his mom again for one of his many play breaks for munchy time. I wasn't even sure what to do. My concerned children began huddling near the crying boy and the three moms. I wondered over trying to assess the situation and see if I could help in any way. His mom was comforting him so I just tried to coral my kids away form them assuring them he would be fine. He'd face-planted right into the concrete sidewalk after getting his foot hung on the seat. The mom's started discussing how this kid was always getting hurt during play dates. He'd been wedged between a window and a table in the McDonald's playland.

These accidents got me thinking. Were play dates really more helpful or harmful? I mean, as SAHM {stay-at-home-mom's} we claim we need adult time. We need socialization. Was our selfishness really worth taking our attention away from our kids? Was it worth the close call in the street? Was it worth the shards of concrete and dirt in the kids forehead?

What do you think? Play Dates: Helpful or Harmful? Do you do play dates? How often do you meet? Why don't you?

If I see ya tomorrow, I tell ya the conclusion I've come to. What, hopefully, I have found the Bible tells us about this.

btw: anybody else a creeper like me? If not, pretend I didn't say all that ;o)