Playground Etiquette

When you become an adult, making friends becomes very difficult. When you become a stay-at-home mother, it becomes almost impossible. I have come to realize very few women are stay-at- home moms in my area. My pool of friend choices is very small. Everyone seems to work.

I don’t know what it is about making friends that is so intimidating. Maybe, it’s that I am so out of practice. Maybe it’s because COVID and staying home with my kids made me even more introverted; I forgot how to socialize.

A few months ago, I realized my 3-year-old was extraverted. He enjoys making friends. So, for his sake, I decided to try to make friends myself too. I want to be a good example for him and also give him the ability to make friendships himself. I am not going to force him to be an introvert just because I am. So now we go out more often and I awkwardly say hi to the other moms in the playground. My son asks me “more friends?” a little too often for my taste. All I want to do is stay in my home where it is safe and I don’t feel like this socially awkward human.

I have one best friend. I trust her with my life. She also is very socially awkward. So I don’t feel embarrassed when my social ques are a little “off.” I have a total of two very close friendships. Neither of them lives in the same state as me, since we moved. And honestly, I am okay with two friends. But my husband tells me I need to socialize more. That it is okay to just have “fun” friends I can hang out with. But I am the type of person who detests small talk. The moment I meet someone I already know your whole life story within one conversation. I’ll be honest, I am so awkward, I don’t even know how to do small talk. My husband says that’s not really normal.

So here I am, working on small talk. Working on making casual friendships. I haven’t discovered what the playground etiquette is yet. Do I make friends with the mom’s that my son is playing with their child or do I just say hi to anyone and see what happens.

Also, what do you do when a kid doesn’t want to play with your child. Part of me gets really upset. Like “what is wrong with my kid, that you don’t want to be his friend.” The other day, we were at the playground and my son wanted to play with this little girl and she told him to go away. He comes to me about to cry. I give this little girl the scariest death glare. I look at her parents, who look to be about 20 years old and just out of high school. They are oblivious to what is going on. So, I just encourage my son to keep trying with someone else or offer him to play with his little brother. Oh, how I hope my youngest is an introvert like me!