In the past, I would befriend just about anyone who I had something in common with, could share a laugh or two, or just because they were friendly. Nowadays, things are very different. Whenever I meet someone new, my first question isn’t Do you have kids? it’s How many kids do you have? All the other friendship qualities seem to take a backseat.
Clearly there’s a reason for all this: Parents just Get It. With other mommy and daddy friends, we don’t need to endure the shock of guests who visit our toy-strewn home. We don’t need to tolerate an annoyed eyeroll when we say we can’t meet at a certain time because it will interfere with the baby’s next feeding.
Whenever I spy a Childless Couple (CC) across a parking lot, walking at their own pace, carefree, hand-in-hand, I, The Bag Lady, look down at my many bags (diaper, snack, purse) and juggle them while lifting my toddler out of her carseat, trying to hear what my husband is saying over the sound of traffic, and think: We used to be you. But not anymore. Now it’s impossible for me to imagine being friends with a CC. It’s like we’re two different species.
Here we go!
Continue reading “NO KIDS? (I MIGHT BE BIASED AGAINST YOU)”
