The 3 Types of Park Moms

             Have you ever noticed that there seems to be distinct groups of different types of moms at the park? Maybe I just people watch too much for my own good (I majored in psychology my first year of college. I can't help myself!), but I especially noticed this on our most recent trip to the park and found it a bit humorous. Let's explore the three different types of “park moms”...

*The Anti-Social, Cranky Mom

These are the easiest moms to spot as they try to distance themselves as much as possible from the rest of the people at the playground. They make no move to try to talk to anyone and seem to avoid even having to interact with their kids. Some look pissed off to even be there and some even sit in their vehicles! Maybe it's because they usually have at least two kids with them, oftentimes more, and the only reason they are at the park is in hopes that said kids will burn some energy off after school so anti-social cranky mom doesn't totally lose her shit when they get home. If you are one of the next two types, it's best to just not even bother. Heed the body language!

*Friendly, Young Mom

Now when I say young, I don't necessarily mean the mom's age, although a lot of times she will be on the younger side too. I'm referring more to the mom who shows up with a young kid, usually only one, that is usually under the age of 1 ½, roughly, 2 at most. These moms can almost be described as perky, because, you know, they only have one kid to deal with and they are loving life. Baby is still in the cute stage and I don't care what bullshit you've heard, one kid is WAY easier than 2, 3, 4+! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise! They haven't sucked perky mom's will to live yet and it's still actually enjoyable to do things with him/her. But, I'm rambling...

Young, perky mom is usually friendly enough, but she doesn't seem to be actively looking for new mom friends. In fact, half the time you can find her with a friend who is roughly the same age who also has one child who is roughly the same age as her child. Again, these types are nice enough and usually willing to engage in conversations about your youngsters, but don't expect any phone number/Facebook friend invite exchanges.

*Desperate to Connect to Others Mom

These types of moms can sometimes be tricky to spot. Why? Several factors go into this. Sometimes disconnected mom is so desperate for adult interaction that she can come off a little too eager. Other times, though, these moms can be timid for the same reason: They're so used to talking and interacting with children all day that they tend to become socially awkward and shy, though they very much want to connect with other moms. Don't fault them for this.

A good indicator of this type of mom is if she has two or more (usually more like three or more) children with her. The younger the kids, the better. These poor souls, as you can imagine, don't really get out of the house much to do fun things any more, unlike perky young mom. Again, this can go either way, but over eager mom will likely seek any adult interaction, whether they have that much in common with the other moms she meets or not. The shy ones, on the other hand, will tend to seek out meaningful relationships. After the initial “how do you do?” phase, they may ask more personal questions, like what you or your kids are into.

             The next time you are at the park, take a look around. It's fun to people watch. :) And who knows: You may just find your next best new mom friend! After all, making friends when you're a mom is kind of like dating. ;)

(P.s. This post is written in (mostly) good humor, so please don't take offense to anything written here!)