Moms

There is this interesting yet weird dynamic between moms of kids that attend the same daycare. I noticed it those first weeks when Sebastian started daycare. Although, I couldn't put my finger on it at first. But there is an unspoken mom code. An ambiguous bond between moms...or parents for that matter. I don't have to be asked to look out for another mom's child. But I do. I watch, I pay attention, I notice. We look out for eachother in that sense without having to be told to. I guess because we want the same in return. Someone to have our back too and let us know if something is awry at the center or with our child(ren). And now that my son has been at his daycare for a year, I have come to "know" the other moms and dads that drop off their kids in his classroom. Niceties and pleasantries are often exchanged. Chit chat about our kids; how well they play together, how they got upset when one was on vacation, apologies when our child is responsible for hurting another, etc. But there is an oddness about it. About the fact that no one knows eachother by name.  That we only know eachother in this world. This world of signing in your kid, hanging his bag on his cubby hook, putting his ready made lunch in the fridge, setting up his breakfast, sharing toys with other kids and asking about diapers and naps. An oddness about the fact that outside of being (i.e. Sebastian's) "mom" we don't exist to eachother and don't even know one another's name. This morning for example, on the bus to the city, I noticed Izzie's mom was sitting in the seat in front of me and Tyler's mom was sitting in the row across from me. I looked at them, one reading a newspaper, the other checking email on her iphone, and almost said hello. Almost. But took out my book instead and decided, like them, I needed to take advantage of this 20 minute commute to work. After all, for us moms, this might very well be the only 20 minutes out of the day we get for down time. Instead of attempting a conversation, I joined in on the "me" time, read my book and enjoyed every second of that 20 minute commute where I wasn't Sebastian's mom but April...reading a book on the way to work.