The Herd Mentality

The Herd Mentality
I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but I take my kids to the park, a lot. They love it. It's great exercise. It's free, I'm there for them. But, it never ceases to amaze me. I observe these moms at the park like a scientist observes mice in a lab. Without fail, these moms display herd mentality every time there are two or more around. Why would this bother me? Why would I even care? Because I'm the "black sheep" in the herd.

I've noticed that when I'm alone at the park with only one mother around, she'll be friendly, smiling. I get the "Oh how old are your kids, they're so cute." Very warm and inviting. But, get two or more of these moms together and I'm invisible. It's like the first day of grade school and I'm the new kid with headgear and doctor prescribed shoes! I still give the same "Hello" smile and nod, but nothing. I'm not even looking to chat it up. I'm too busy chasing my kids around. But here's the real kick in the grapes. The moms ignore me, but let their kids follow me around and talk my ear off. If you don't want to be friendly, that's fine. Just tell your kid to do the same!

If you're a mom and think this is all in my head, do a little experiment. When you're at the park with your kids, watch how other moms act when a dad is there with his kids. First of all, he'll probably be the only one actually running around with them (but that's another rant). The first few minutes will set the tone because that's usually when you make eye contact and give the "hello" nod. Now, watch how other moms will interact with each other and not say a word to the dad even if he's in the same proximity. If you're lucky, you might go to a park where there is already a separate mom and dad. Watch how their conversation will just cease and the mom slowly gravitate toward you. That actually happened to me yesterday! That's why I write this stuff, because if you're a stay at home mom, you'd never know that we go to two different parks. CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG!?!