Is it me or do others get upset about this? My son has a good number of friends both in and out of school. I like to assume that if a friendship is making both children happy, their mothers (or fathers) would make some effort to get to know each other, too.
My son has one friend he has known since he was a toddler. They get on very well and I seem to get on well with his mother. But the only time we meet up is when she has her son on tow. Because our children naturally want our attention then, and the visits are fairly child-centered, it's difficult to hold a long adult conversation with her -though we do try! She's always eager to meet up, but when I've suggested we meet sometimes for a few hours by ourselves she has made it clear she does not want to. I'm sorry, but I find this a bit insulting. Presumably she likes my son and I enough to spend time with us - or is she just tolerating it for the sake of the children's friendship?
I've noticed the same thing happening with some of my son's other friends, both old and new. Some mothers seem to see it all in a very one-dimensional way. I obviously don't expect to become close buddies with each mother every time my son makes a new friend, but it's nice to get to know new people in my son's social circle, and if we like each other too, having our own friendship. I just don't like basing adult friendships on solely on meetings when I am in full-time mum mode. It makes me feel far too old and respectable!
I don't want to come across as Billy-no-friends - I do have lots of friends who aren't like this, honest!! but I find the mothers who do this rather baffling. Any comments?