In the unspoken rules of suburbia, mothers broker the play dates with an exacting calculus, weeks and even months in advance. For some moms, socializing with each other while their offspring crawl around is as essential as whether or not the children get along.Where is this Wisteria Lane? What town is that in? Oh wait, I forgot. IT'S A TV SHOW.And here, the dads come up losers. "We'd never get the invitations," Mr. Purinton said. "I'd call and leave messages, but if you've done that three times, you sort of figure that doing it any more is just pestering."
Part of the worry, many suspect, are the raised eyebrows that too much gender-mixed daytime socializing could bring. [Oh really? Read on.]
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And while the desperate housewives on Wisteria Lane have their exciting trysts with teenage gardeners and mysterious neighbors, there are seemingly few worries that these stay-at-home husbands have any potential for steamy affairs with their female counterparts. After all, what is threatening about a man loaded down with diapers?
And what kind of nazi, femi- or otherwise is able to schedule a playdate "months in advance?" Somebody needs to read that Psych Today article about over-programming her kids' lives. Meanwhile, what's stopping a dad from taking the lead in organizing a playgroup and inviting (or stiff-arming, as required by the apparently Heathers-like dictates of suburban parenting) his kids' friends?
[Update: That's what he did. The supposedly whiny dad in the article is actually behind NYStayAtHomeDads.com; He left comments on RebelDad.]
Housewives, Try This for Desperation [NYT]
come on guys stop whining like a set of bad brakes about being a househusband. i sety up play dates with my neighbors and their kids and at first only of the four would come but now it is almost a daily thing the five of us get together and let our kids make a mess. we help with each others housework (i had to voluteer to do someone elses house work befoe they reciporcated) we watch each others kids while the other is running errands. it is a great support network. my wife thinks it is a great idea too. she said as long as i get the house work done and dinner on the table when she gets home she doesn't care who i have for friends. so my friends and trade recipes and help keep each others house spottless. each one of us has a specialty in cleaning mine is vacuuming and dusting. it is nice when my wife comes home to an immaculate house, even we have three girls, and she patsme on the bottom and says that i am the best housewife a girl ever had,i know she means it as a compliment and i take it that way. WHY ARE YOU WASTING TIME READING THIS SHE WILL BE HOME SOON AND HAVE HOUSE WORK TO DFO GET BUSY!!