Oscar and Etta Join a Country Club

Okay, maybe it’s not technically a “country” club, but it’s a club nonetheless.  A club with an initiation fee and monthly dues with a membership list that is restricted, so it feels a bit country club’ish.

Before I had kids, I had no idea that the lives of very young children were so incredibly busy.  I figured one’s infancy and toddlerhood were the periods in a child’s life where the only thing they had to do was play, eat and sleep.  And, maybe that is the case, but the child’s mom is apparently supposed to concern herself with where her child is playing, eating and sleeping. . . . and from what I’ve found, the kids are not supposed to be doing all (or even the vast majority) of their playing at home.

From Oscar’s first doctor’s appointment in the U.S., when he was about ten months old, I’ve been repeatedly asked whether he was enrolled in any classes and activities.  Music?  Tumbling?  Gymb0ree?  How about a playgroup?  None of these things were realistic for Oscar when he came here from Vietnam.  Looking back, it was ridiculous that my pediatrician, who knew what was going on with Oscar emotionally and developmentally, even asked.  Back then, I just ignored the questions, thinking that if we ever got to a point where Oscar did not scream for the majority of his day, we’d look into this classes and activities thing.

Fast forward a couple few years and we’re at the point where Oscar does not scream for the majority of his day.  In fact, there are some days when he doesn’t scream at all.  I know, shocking.  We have, in the past, enrolled (and even attended) music classes and swim lessons, and Oscar and Etta already do a lot of stuff at the library each week (storytime, yoga infrequently and crafts whenever offered), play at the park (which is usually devoid of children) and have some playdates.  The thing is, it’s not enough.  I know they’re supposed to be socializing more with other kids, and I know that because I have them home with a nanny, they’re not getting the same level of interaction that kids in daycare “pre-school” are getting.

One of the problems, of course, is that I am not a SAHM.  Because of my employment status, my children are not eligible for membership in a lot of playgroups.  Sad, but true.  Playdates happen during the workday, and since I’m working during the workday . . . my kids are not playing with other kids.  Hence the country club.

So, we joined this club, and it’s sort of fabulous.  It’s basically just a humongous room with a bunch of different areas designated for different sorts of play with another big room designated for gymnastics and another area with a library and cafeteria (organic, naturally).  There were a ton of kids there on Sunday when we first attended, and while most of Oscar’s play was still parallel, he did try to get an older girl to play with him on the gymnastics equipment.  It’s a great place for him to practice many of the things he’s working on in OT, so I feel like that’s a huge benefit in and of itself.

The kids love it there.  Oscar loved it immediately.  He took off after two seconds of assessing the layout.  Etta?  She loved it after about an hour.  Most of the time I feel like Etta has been here with us forever, but every once in a while I’m reminded of the fact that I actually adopted Etta from Ethiopia.  Sunday was one of those days.  She was very clingy and unsure about the whole experience initially, so we hung out in the baby section where she could kind of get a lay of the land.

After a bit of watching, venturing out into the play space and back to the baby section to regroup, she took the place by storm.  Once she had the grown ups telling her how beautiful and brilliant she was (with her cocking her head towards me and grinning to make sure I heard), I knew we’d be all right.  She played so hard that she took a two and a half hour nap afterwards to recuperate.

So, at least for the winter, they’ll be hanging out at the club, playing and taking a weekly art class, followed by music together.  If this place were a bit like a real country club (read – with a pool, lounge chairs for mom and a beer cart (again for mom)), we’d be in for the long haul.  But for now, it’s just someplace for us to escape the cold California winter.  All three weeks of it.

January 11, 2011 Posted by Oscar and Etta's mom | Our family, Parenting | 11 Comments