I'm getting deeper into the whole "stay at home mom" gig. Henry and I now go to playgroup at the local community center on Monday and Wednesday mornings. It's just like it sounds: 15-20 kids, newborns to 4-year-olds, let loose in a big room with lots of toys. Coffee for the parents and nannies. Not a lot of grownup socializing goes on, though, because having that many kids in the room means that things can get out of hand in a hurry if you're not paying attention. Still, it's fun. We also joined a Kindermusik class that's a lot more structured and involves a distressingly high level of participation from mom. I'm not sure what Henry will learn about music listening to my tuneless bleating, but he enjoyed playing with the percussion toys. So I'll go along with it.
I'm meeting lots of parents doing this stuff. One surprise is the number of dads I see out with their kids on weekdays. Men can take parental leave time in Canada, and it seems a good number of them are doing so. Another difference is the number of moms I've met who work part time. In Richmond, I found that working or staying at home was pretty much either/or. Up here, it seems possible to work out a more flexible arrangement. Not sure where that leaves me, but it is good to hear that alternatives exist.
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