When we moved to the Inland Empire in 2009, I quickly joined a momsclub that turned into a playgroup that I ran and organized successfully for about 4 years. Local stay-at-home moms and I got together four times a month for play dates, potlucks and field trips. I dedicated myself to the group and to the enrichment of our children for no other reason than I just really loved doing it. The playgroup and I went on day trips all around Southern California, we did holiday tours, farm tours, playhouse dates…you name it. I found it my mission to find the coolest, funnest, most educational and enriching things to do with our kids in and around the Inland Empire.
Eventually the playgroup started to widdle down for several reasons. Mostly because I got sick of people but also because as my family grew in size I needed less hassle to have playmates for my kids. My kids could play with each other while we went on day trips and I didn’t have to stress about scheduling, organizing or people I didn’t like. So that was that.
I’ve had this silent feeling for awhile now that my daughter isn’t experiencing childhood like my oldest did. She doesn’t have the advantage of lots of girlfriends, in fact, she hardly has any friends her own age at all. I feel as though she has been shorted – I feel that ever present mom guilt. Which of course is absurd, because in place of organized playgroup day trips she has had her share of plenty of cool opportunities. But I still feel badly. There was something so magical about our playgroup and I know she would have absolutely loved those experiences, more so than my son ever did I think. She would have loved having girlfriends and running through fields and museums and parks holding hands and laughing. I’m still hanging on to the hope that she’ll still have the opportunity when we move.
This week’s flash back Friday picture is of my daughter at Amy’s Farm in Ontario with a farm cat. No friends. Just siblings and that cat.
