How to survive the dreaded “Mommy Clique” (and share your own stories)

Now that my kids are in school, they are adjusting to an entirely new social hierarchy. Fortunately, they’re still young enough that friendship prerequisites center around if their peers are nice or if they have the same taste in clothes.

The latter was illustrated on the first day of school when my daughter Hadley met her new BFF: a girl who had the exact same pair of shoes.

In a few years, such trespasses will result in a cat fight.

But there is a murky side to the social hierarchy that is rarely discussed: the Mommy Clique. These are formed when moms are brought together while waiting for their children to emerge from school or in playgroups and at activities.

I’d like to think that moms are mutually-supportive and that is mostly the case. But often, there are deep-rooted undertones of judgment that, if not confronted, can result in a full-blown Mommy Clique.

And no one likes Mommy Mean Girls.

From my “extensive” 10 years as a mom, I have

Thanks For Giving: Thankless Mom Moment Rewards

It’s true that as a mom our joy and reward is all the happy moments. It’s loving our children and watching them grow.

It’s also true that being a mom is a 24/7, 365 day a year job. There are no days off. The pay sucks. The vacation? Well, it’s often more work than the day-to-day grind. Being a mom is a tough job. It’s a full-time, selfless gig with little, or no thanks in many departments. But, sometimes those thankless tasks have their rewards. Maybe they don’t show up right away, but in the end they make the struggle, or fight, worthwhile.

Here’s a few “thankless mom moments” and their rewards:

Mama Said: Facebook Etiquette for Moms

Educators are constantly talking about how to teach kids responsible use of the Internet and social media. Parents look over their child’s shoulder while he or she is logged on. Schools try to address social media safety and appropriate Google searches. We use software to try to block “bad” sites.

But what about moms on Facebook?

Facebook provides many of us with a place to connect with family and friends dispersed all over the country. It is an easy way to say, “Hey, look what we’re up to!” or “Don’t the kids look awesome?!”

It is fun to log on and get a glimpse into our old friends’ lives. It makes us feel that we are a still a part of them. And it gives us a place to vent about the latest ridiculous story in politics or entertainment. Facebook has made it easy to find friends we thought were long lost to us.

Yet we do not all feel the same way about what should, or should not, be posted there.

Mama Drama: Top 10 Parenting Tips (plus 1) for New Moms and Dads

Dear Mama Drama:

My husband and I are the proud parents of a newborn baby boy. We are so excited that he is finally here, but have a lot of uncertainty about how we’ll handle all the day-to-day challenges of parenting.

We would love any tips you have for new parents.

~New Mama

(photo credit)

Dear New Mama:

Congratulations on your new baby! The journey of parenthood is full of questions (many of us are still searching for that owner’s manual we are certain we misplaced at the hospital!) and the answers are often different depending on the child.

My top 10 parenting tips for new moms and dads:

Win a $25 Gift Card From Einstein Bros. Bagels for Your Next Girl’s Night!

CONTEST CLOSED. Congrats to winner Shuka Hall. Please go here to enter to win another $25 gift card.

Confession: I’m a fan of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. Not only have I read all the books but I also throw a viewing party whenever a new DVD is released. New Moon was our latest guilty pleasure and I had only one prerequisite for my friends:

“Come hungry.”

I scored major points at our latest gathering because I brought in some goodies from Einstein Bros. Bagels. This locally-based company is running a fun Coffee and a Bagel social media campaign for moms. As a part of the promotion, Einstein Bros. Bagels sent Mile High Mamas some complimentary gift cards to use for giveaways and at various events (stay tuned for details on how to sample their many spoils.)

Speaking of spoils, lo did we indulge. I bought a couple of their Variety Buckets, which have a fantastic mix of products for an affordable price. It includes 6 bagels, 12 mini-bagels, & 24 cream cheese bagel poppers (the fan favorite) for $9.99. I grabbed a couple of cream cheese smears for an additional $2.99. Oh, and I also got some cinnamon twists but they didn’t exactly make it to the party.

In my defense, they were well worth not waiting. 🙂

Mile High Mamas is giving away a $25 gift card to Einstein Bros. Bagels. Please go here to enter. Contest deadline is April 15, 2010.

Be sure to check out Coffee and a Bagel at Divine Caroline where they are offering weekly $25 gift card sweeps plus a grand prize. Become a fan of Einstein Bros. Bagels on Facebook and receive exclusive offers and discounts.

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