I need out!!
January 7, 2023
Oh, hey there.
Have you ever wanted a recipe, took a tour of Pinterest, finally found one, only to end up scrolling… and scrolling… and scrolling to the point where you give up and just use the one on the back of the box? Or listen to a new podcast only to be met with 35 minutes of banter before they tell you about the horrific crime you tuned in for, only for that to be when your baby wakes up and you missed your window of macabre and now have to go back to Ms. Rachel?
This isn’t like that, don’t worry. Here’s the Coles Notes:
I became a mom in June of 2020. The worst possible year to start a new type of life. It was isolating, it was lonely, it had many rough patches. My daughter is now a happy, vibrant toddler who has no idea she missed out on baby groups, mommy and me classes, and general socialization before age one.
But I know. And it sucks.
So when those two pink lines appeared on the stick last November, I knew I wanted to do everything. So during pregnancy I did just that. I got the massages, the acupuncture, the boujie maternity photoshoot on the beach with my bump out, I did it all.
Enter Baby Boy in August of 2022. Before he was a week old I was registered for Mom and baby class, had already gone to the farmer’s market, paraded him around my daughters daycare, and googled what to do with a baby in my neighbourhood.
And let me tell you – East Toronto is proving to be an amazing place to raise kids. I’m determined to do all of the things, and bring you along for the ride.
So that’s it! A mom of two in the city, checking out all there is to offer for families and caregivers, and letting the world know what I thought. With a degree in Early Childhood Studies as well as Family Support and Community Engagement, I’m equipped to check it all out with a critical eye, a baby on the hip, and a constant need for coffee.
Two weeks ago, I told my partner I wanted to make an Instagram to make meetups in my area more cohesive. What I didn’t realize is how beneficial this would be to the other parents in East End Toronto. Having spent my first maternity leave in lockdown after lockdown, I knew just how lonely that time home can feel, but at the same time had no idea how refreshing it would be to just get out of the house with other moms.
This week I hit up EarlyOn centers, breweries, coffee shops, parks and spent a little too much time on my phone hunting down ways to bring parents together. This has been especially tricky post-holiday break, when the days are short but the hours drag on. I actually told my partner this week “I feel like I’m living in a box some days.”. My son is at the age (5 months) where nothing is interesting longer than 10-15 minutes, except for my face. I barely get my coffee drank (lukewarm, of course) before its time to switch from the baby Björn to the bouncer, or the bumbo to the snuggle me, or the jolly jumper to the exerciser. (Seriously though, why do kids need so many containers?!).
So, I threw up my hands and said “screw it! We’re getting out of this house!”
Did I know anyone in the group chat I messaged? No. Did I still load up my stroller, wait outside in the rain and hope someone would join me for a walk from the coffee shop down the street? I sure did! And you know what? I made two new friends that day. The next day one of the mom’s and I went to the same drop-in center.
