Summer Reading: The Three-Martini Playdate

Reading this book was like flipping thru my parent's childhood photo albums. A time when birthday parties meant a party at the house with a sprinkler, a couple of games, and cake. Where cocktails for adults were acceptable and the guest list consisted of your friends and their children. The author, Christie Mellor is dead on when it comes to pointing out how ridiculous we have become by allowing our children to "become the center of our universe".

In the opening of the book she states: "Somehow a pint-sized velvet revolution was waged right under our very noses, and the grown-ups quietly handed over the reins." I was reading this when my 4 year old announced we would be leaving for Walmart in a few minutes to look at Incredible Hulk costumes. I gave him the 5 minute hand signal and kept reading.

I'm glad I'm not the only person not eager to join Mommy and Me classes, or anything requiring me to spend more time talking about children. I'd like to think a few of us mommys had a life before kids, and can balance being a good mom while maintaining an intellectual conversation. I got sucked into the mommy trap for a few years, but am slowly dragging myself out. I'm reading the newspaper again, letting my parenting magazines collect dust, and asking friends to join me for cocktails or dinner. The Three-Martini Playdate reminds us that it's healthy to have a life outside of parenthood, and beneficial for kids to not have people orbiting around them.