The Mommy Club: Member Benefits

A very small sampling of the many perks of being a member of the Mommy Club:

• Once you've been pregnant, you know how to address other pregnant women; for example, a truly empathetic "how are you" and any variation of "wow, you look great!" or "you can't even tell you're pregnant from behind!"
• If you ever need wipes, a mom will seemingly appear from nowhere to offer them to you.  Probably because they once forgot their wipes, and another mom saved them.  Pay it forward, baby.
• If your child is bleeding all over the place, a mom will sense your panic and come to your rescue with reassurance plus a cloth, a first aid kit, or a Disney princess band-aid.  Just be sure not to tell your son that he once walked around the mall with Jasmine on his forehead...or better, take a photo so you are sure not to forget to tell him one day.   

(notice that I at least put the band-aid on upside down...kind of a princess anarchy.

• Snack exchange...because for toddlers the grass---or, in this case, Goldfish or animal crackers--is always greener on the other side (or in the other snack cup).
• You can confess that food flying off a high chair tray may actually drive you insane one day and get empathy, not a lecture in patience and toddler feeding development.
• Increased efforts to be friendly---you need other moms to talk to, and your child engages most people with "Hi!" and a little dance, which makes it quite difficult to stay in your own shy bubble.
• Multiple little moments during the day when your heart feels too full like making your kid really laugh, an unexpected nuzzle, and getting "introduced" to people with a happy "Mama!"
• And every once in awhile, you put your little guy down for bed knowing that you gave him a really awesome day...and you yourself wouldn't have spent it any other way with anybody else.