Being a stay at home mom has its perks.  I get to do things like sleep late and watch my little angel grow up.   Our bond is as tight as humanly possible.   But sometimes, mama needs some company that wants to do something more than watch Spongebob.  I’m blessed with many friends that I can call in the evening, however, daytimes can seem kind of bleak.  Enter, the play date.

A play date is pretty much an agreement between two parents for their kids to play together, meanwhile the adults normally kick back and chat while the kids run around.   Typically the mothers arrange and go on play dates.  Every now and again, fathers get in on the action also.

For some parents, getting to this point with another child and their mother can be a bit of a hurdle.  Not only do you have to worry about your children getting along, you also have to wonder how you’ll get along with the other mother.  There is also the problem of whether or not the other family is fairly close to you geographically.  Unfortunately, that can become a problem.  Most of my friends who have children live clear across town and with gas prices being what they are, we can’t play date nearly as much as we’d like to.

Play dates are far more than just two children playing together.  It is also the chance for adults to talk and to be mentally stimulated.  They can discuss the problems that they are having in the area of parenting and working.  They can lean on each other and offer one another support.  Another important aspect of the play date is the chance of networking.  Quite often one mother will see another mother that they long to get closer to because of something or someone that the other parent has or knows.

One of my closest friends is a woman who had a daughter close in age to my son and after a brief conversation, we agreed to a play date.  Some play dates even grow into large cliques where they watch after and support each other’s children.

There have been times where I’m at the playground in my neighborhood and I’ll look at a mom and think that she looks like someone I could see myself play dating with. The problem then becomes the issue of how I approach the other parent.   I often wonder how the other person will respond.  The more I talk to other parents though (especially parents of single children) the more I find that they’re open to play dates.  Most parents realize how important it is for us to socialize our children so that they play well with each other and to get them ready to one day enter daycare or school.  There is also, of course, the issue of trying to get children more exercise, rather than letting them sit home and watch television all day.

The good thing is that there are many websites for many different cities for mothers looking to meet up for play dates.  I think that I’m going to try one of those sites to help my little pumpkin and I to meet some new friends.  If your child is in daycare already, you can also ask if there is a friend that your child has at school that you could possibly play date with outside of work and class time.  It would give you the chance to see who your child is buddying up with and it would be a good chance to meet that child’s mother.

Despite my shyness, I know that I will eventually meet more mothers to play date with.  My sanity depends on it.