Monday, August 8, 2016

Observations of a Co-Parent

My eldest is in school and she's not coming home until around 3PM, my son is still asleep, my husband in having lunch while I watch my baby sleep, and what do I do? I flip my netbook open and read about baby poop.

I was just reading this blog post about how motherhood could totally eradicate your social skills and a life outside the four walls of your house. I think truer words have never been said, but with that new lifestyle also comes new opportunities to socialize and venture into new things. Sometimes, maybe it's just on us?

Here's what I mean. I pick up my child everyday from school and every day that I do, I have to wait for her outside the gates just like all the other moms. And I just sit there, browsing on my phone, Facebook-messaging my sister, the sort. And then I think about my mom who used to do the same exact thing when I was a kid but she talked to other moms and even made friends with them. Me? I keep to myself and patiently wait for my child to turn up in the corner.

I guess I just might be more introverted than I thought. I could sometimes be indifferent and I don't necessarily feel the urge to talk to other people to make friends. I can make new acquaintances but I don't feel like I should get in their face and become BFFs. I like my silence. But I don't necessarily call myself a loner because when I'm with family I just can't shut my mouth.

So I would sit at the school gates and wait and wait and wait, and I would overhear all sorts of conversations about their kids, where they live, homework, and frankly I don't care unless I'm actively involved in the conversation. I certainly got my allergies from my mother's side of the family, but definitely not their social prowess.

Best way to describe it would be sitting at the bleachers watching a game without really have a care what the game was because it's a game called gossip.

Aside from this blog and talking to family and closest friends, I just really keep to myself. I'm not a big fan of nonsensical chatter, and these mommy-cliques at school are the ultimate breeding ground for rumors. First of all, I don't exactly know these people and I know the only thing we have in common is that we're moms and our kids go to the same school. Other than that, I'm fine with just saying hi and hello and we'll be on our merry way.

What I think I'm missing out on though, if anything, is networking. It's a free networking stint. Especially if you're in the direct selling business, like face-to-face, being chummy with these other moms is a gold mine. There's definitely opportunity there and I realize it's something I know I have to adjust to sooner or later, even if I don't necessarily want to or need to. Actually, my family is in the sales business and it definitely wouldn't hurt to try. I hope my mostly-keeping-to-myself self could eventually adjust though.

But until that happens, I'll be sitting quietly in the bleachers, minding my own business.
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