Just before the birth of my first child in 2002, like many families, my husband and I faced the decision of whether or not we could get buy on a single income. For me to stay home and care for the children meant that I could be sacrificing my career plans – or a long road back.
I had some fears about becoming a stay-at-home mom. What would my days be like being home all day? How would I thrive without adult interaction? Who could I talk to if I needed help? Will I be the best good role model and teacher for my child? In short, I had a rewarding and fulfilling job I enjoyed. Staying home full time with my child would be a
big adjustment.
Well, it wasn’t long after the baby was born that I realized that going back to work was going to be a lot harder than I thought. I could barely put down our precious little baby for a second and couldn’t imagine not seeing him for the better part of a day. So, I decided to try to stay home. Now, I know that for many families, two incomes are needed and there just isn’t a choice. That might have been the case for us, too, in the near future. So, we planned on going as long as we could with me at home.
Still on maternity leave, I decided to drop into a class at our hospital that offered support for new moms. I was going to stay home now and I welcomed all the help I could get! Several moms showed up and we sat in a circle around a nurse who was more than used to a blizzard of questions. More coincidental than anything, a few of us recognized each other from the neighborhood, and the nurse encouraged us to stay in contact with each other. She said that if we met as often as we needed, we could find support for each other and a time for the children to play together. She was suggesting that we start a playgroup. The eventual seed that would lead to the creation of Playgroups USA was planted!
So, with morning commutes and lattes behind me, I quickly settled in and took in all I could as a new mom. What a breath of fresh air it was to have the focus of your life on something so precious and innocent…something other than myself. I was a teacher now to this baby and the baby helped me step back and look at the basic and most beautiful things around me. And, when I didn’t have all the answers, I could share thoughts with my new mom friends in playgroup. That’s what all of us did in our group. We helped each other, laughed and sometimes cried.
Four years and two children later, we are still very active in our playgroup. We attend each week and have made lifelong friends for myself and for the kids. The families in the group really look forward to every time we can get together. In fact, the playgroup often gathers with the dads included. We have even planned weekend bar-be-cues, traveled to football games and many of the kids are taking music and sports classes together. It was even very smooth and natural to bring the second babies into the group because many of us had them around the same time. Our family truly benefited by being in a playgroup in so many ways that we felt that all families needed an easier way to join a playgroup in their area if they wanted to. So, we created Playgroups USA as a service so other parents and caregivers could find friendships and all the rewards of a playgroup – all for free. Other benefits include access to valuable parenting resources, discounts on family goods and services and the Playgroups USA newsletter filled with tips and advice.
If you are a new parent or plan on being one, I hope that if you do have any experience with Playgroups USA, that it leads to something you will look back on and treasure.
