I'm due for another complaining session. I'm sure you were all wondering what happened to the regular Sher. Perhaps I was bit by the Christmas bug or something, and all that holiday cheer was getting to me.
Sorry, to get all cheesy and happy on you. I'm sure you were all worried about my well-being.
Don't worry, I can still whine with the best of 'em.
I have plenty of crap to complain about.
Like Tuesday, when I had play group at my house. For the record, having play group at my house makes me want to off myself. It's like having throw a friggin' birthday party every 5 weeks. It's ridiculous. I'm often asking myself why am I in this stupid play group anyway? Peter doesn't really care that much. If she feels like playing, we'll call a friend to come over. Why does it have to be so organized? If you know me at all, I HATE to be scheduled and organized. Don't ask me why. But it BUGS me. Why can't we just go play when we feel like it? Why can your kids ONLY play at 1:00 on Tuesdays? That just weird!
So, yesterday at about 10:30 it occurred to me that we had play group at our house. I hadn't planned any elaborate crafts or activities. I hadn't done any heavy baking that morning. In fact, I spent most of my "preschool" time (time while the kids are all at school) talking to my friend Lisa, who I went to visit because she'd recently had her birthday. I wasn't going to start baking cupcakes and cookies half an hour before I had to go get TJ & Peter from school. So, I thought to myself, well, it's just a play group. We have toys. I'll just send the kids downstairs to play in the toy room. We'll not make this a big deal.
That worked!.....for about 45 minutes. Then two of the girls were upstairs asking me when we were going to start our craft, and what games we were going to play. I really had to bite my tongue when I wanted to tell them this isn't a freakin' birthday party. So, I sent them downstairs and showed them where the dress-ups were. Problem solved.
...Not quite. We have one little boy in our play group. Which usually works out nicely when it's at our house because then TJ has a boy to play with. Well, about 45 minutes into our "play time" TJ came up stairs saying "Boy (because I'm not creative enough to come up with a nickname)" needs help wiping his bum.
Crap. I do NOT need to wipe the neighbor kids bum. No Thank YOU!
So, I went downstairs, told him to wipe his own bum, asked if he could put his pants on himself, and then went back upstairs to monitor the girls, who had gotten bored with playing dressup.
Several minutes later, it occurred to me the "boy" hadn't come out of the bathroom. I went back down to check on him. You wouldn't believe kind of damage a little 4 year old boy can do in 10 minutes. There was shit everywhere. Sorry, about the language, but that's just how pissed off I was. On the rug, on the toilet seat, on the toilet lid, on the bathtub. And he was still sitting there pantless. NAST!
There is nothing more disgusting than cleaning up your neighbor's kids poop.
I'm very seriously considering quitting the play group now.
Do you think I'm over-reacting?
I'm a little freaked about posting this actually, because what if the mom's in the play group read my blog and I don't know it, and now they'll be offended, because I'm such a whiner. I really like your kids, honest I do. But, I still have to be able to complain about it. That's my right as a person who likes to complain.
22 comments:
I'd quit in your shoes. If you're not getting anything but stress out of it, there's no point.
I had a less nasty but similarly frustrationg experience with a weekly babysitting swap I did awhile ago. Did me no good, and instead I was constantly cleaning up messes (sometimes #1 sometimes #2) and once the kid even flushed a poopie pull-up--which clogged the toilet. Good times. I was grateful when I quit.
I did a play group once and the whole year I hated it. My son hated it too. I'd get out while you can.
Get out get out get out. No excuses. It's not working for you and the bathroom episode would've put anyone over the edge.
Sher you rock! Dont do anything you hate unless it benefits your family in some way. Doesnt sound like that does.
I agree with the others. Get out!!
Uh, sheeot all over your bathroom makes me gag. And I am not the one that had to clean it up. I thought kids being able to wipe themselves was a prerequisite to playgroups? Sucks to be in hour position though. I would want to get out too.
Ugh. I would be done, too. We do a playgroup in my ward and just meet at the park or the church (during the winter.) Let the kids play with the nursery toys and/or run around in the gym. And the point of our playgroup is for the MOMS to hang out, not the kids!! (Just a nice side effect that they're socializing, too.)
I could never have 6 kids over once a month with no other adults and be expected to have crafts and homemade goodies. No way.
(BTW, my 4 yo boy sometimes needs help wiping, too, but has NEVER smeared his stuff all over the bathroom. That's just rude and disrespectful. I seriously think his mother should know.)
p.s. I'm totally copying some of your christmas playlist. Hope you don't mind! =D
Holy CRAP!!! I'd definitely quit. And I'm with wonder woman. Any "playgroup" I was part of when my kids were really little was totally a mom-thing with the kidlets at the playground or playing with toys or play-dough or something. We said it was for them, I it was really for us.
Word ver.= difist. It's what you slam into diwall when dineighbor kid smears dishit on dicarpet.
I do not like the words "play date" or "play group" it's just another word for it's your time to babysit. We never had all this organized stuff when we were growing up and I refused to be part of it with my kids...I really think that kids nowadays are going to be burned out by the time they are adults with all this organized stuff and having to be in every sport or event. Sad.
Remember when a kid would just come to the door and ask if you could play?
Hope the rest of your week goes well!
Robin~♥
I'm glad you all see it my way. The only reason we agreed to the play group in the first place was because whenever we call any friends in the neighborhood they can't play, because they are at dance, or soccer, or because we didn't call 12 weeks in advance to schedule it. The families in this neighborhood are just WAY too over-scheduled.
You already know what I think (especially since I ditched mine 2 weeks ago) but KICK PLAYGROUP TO THE CURB!
It's no fun. Besides, most of those kids are just a bunch of desperate housewives in the making... (did I just say that out loud?? EEEkkk!)
I also think you need to tell "boys" mother, because that's just freaking disgusting. You KNOW she would be all over you like an ugly suit if the situation had been reversed...
Seriously why can't kids just play? I can't believe you do a craft and treat each time they come over. These are the kids in my class that are never satisfied with anything I do. It's no wonder, their play time is so elaborate they expect school time to have a craft and treat everyday too!
Omigosh, okay, so years ago we used to do a little play group/preschool... several moms and I and we would take turns... well, one week when it was my turn a little guy went in to go potty and he never came out. SO, I went and knocked on the door. No answer. I slowly opened it, glad it wasn't locked, lol... and there he laid, stark naked on the bathroom floor!!!
Get out while you can! Playgroups are supposed to be FUN and if it's not fun for you, I'd bail. I'm all about simplifying! Your kids will survive. It just ends up being a day care for the other mommies while the one mommy goes crazy. And I'd be saying the word "shit" too if some little boy crapped all over my bathroom. Ewwwww! I've got no patience for that, thank you very much!
I HATE play groups unless it is outside at a park and I can show up when I want then I love them! sucks though...I hear ya!
Ugh!!! I'm with you. I don't like to be overly scheduled, and why can't kids just play nowadays? Why must they be entertained? Even with b-day parties there must be a theme and a bouncy house or they must be taken somewhere. I'd get out. If there's a friend in the group that you/she likes, tell the mom that you're not doing playgroup anymore, but wouldn't mind having the two play together each week.
That's easy. I vote quit.
And I'll whine with you a little on the whole 'scheduling of playtime'. When I was a kid, I went to a friends house (or called on the phone if they weren't within walking distance) to ask "Can you play?" Yes meant come in. No meant go home. No big deal.
What's up with having to make appointments for kids to play now? Why have we let the anal Moms take over everything? Can't ANYTHING just be natural about living these days- must it ALL be artificially created?
Whine all you want girl. It's contageous and I needed it today too. (except I get to whine on YOUR blog and therefore no one will associate it with me thus ruining my perfect image- kidding, sort of!)
Never do playgroups, that's just not me!!!
Get out fast!!!!
I never understood the whole 'playgroup' idea. I'm totally the unscheduled, spur of the moment, my kid wants to bring a friend home type. There's something about 'right now, let's play' that's fun and crazy vs. the dread of 'forcing' our kids to play at a certain time and for a certain amount of time and you can't just send them home if things get crazy. I for one, avoid playgroups!
Stopping by through Daily Scoop and I'm glad I did. I'm off to check out your mp3!
Ugh!! Oh Sher, I'd totally quit it too. So sorry about the crap. I can't even wrap my mind around that one. Too gross.
You are definitely NOT over-reacting.
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