So I need to try to meet some people that have kids that i think dd would get along with. I am shy (and a bit anti social!), so this is a big challenge for me, but I will work on it. I really hope that she makes some friends at preschool, but i have a feeling that the whole preschool thing is not going to fly this year...we shall see though.
To secure my status as official board grump, let me add that I also hate playdates, at least the kind where I have to stay and socialize with other parents. You saw the list of things I hate about parenting. I found that hanging out with other mothers just meant I had to sit around and talk about all the things I hated. So, until I could just drop a kid off at someone else's house, I tended to dread the play dates more than just hanging out at home.
Don't get me wrong, I have many many friends, but I met virutally none of them through parenting. I met them at college or through work or hobbies, etc.
What worked much better for me was finding something meaningful and completely different than parenting that I could do. (I was never into the spa thing, for me learning is the best recreation I could find) For me that meant hiring someone to teach me a foreign language. Sometimes DH would come home early to hang with DS during my lesson; sometimes I could plunk him in front of the TV. But you could also hire a high school student to spend time with your child while you pursue something that you love. You can be available if there is a problem.
I think DS gets a huge benefit from seeing me learn something new. I am always taking classes, studying, volunteering in addition to my career. I think it is excellent role modeling for him. he sees me demonstrating that learning is fun!
