By Carla CicconeOriginal Source: flare.comEarlier this year, I signed up online for a local mom group. My partner and I had recently moved back to Toronto after four years in Vancouver with our six month old daughter in tow, and a very well-intentioned friend told me that the group—which hosts both online discussion groups and IRL meet-ups—was a great place to commune with people who could relate to the unique plight of early motherhood. We were to meet once a week. There was childcare on site (said site being the drafty basement of a United Church in Toronto’s west end) and a professional fitness trainer to kick things off with an hour-long workout, followed by a guided discussion for us moms. It was a place to complain about and discuss all the heavy stuff I was dealing with among other moms of babies and toddlers who were IN IT just as deep as I was. And with the added bonus of treats (snacks! coffee!), cue up the Mariah Carey because this sounded like my own personal motherhood “Fantasy!”But despite my early enthusiasm, during the first session, three things became crystal clear: 1) I hate working out 2) I didn’t feel comfortable sharing my opinion so I ate too many snacks and drank way too much watery coffee instead, and 3) my fellow moms talked a lot about drinking. With the...click here to continue reading
