So, last night I had a bit of a freak-out.
As I mentioned back around Adelaide's first birthday, I'm having a tought time dealing with my friends going back to work. I feel like my social network is crumbling around me, and I'm left to entertain Addy three days a week when she's not in daycare.
It's tough, primarily because I'm not a Stay at Home Mom -- I'm a Work at Home Mom. I need to make money. If I could just find something (affordable) for her to do a few hours a day, I could sneak in some work, hopefully earn a bit more income and eventually hire a babysitter for those extra days.
The thing is, as I'm finding out, there's NOTHING out there. Part of that is because we don't live in a very child-friendly area, I guess. We have a community centre down the street, but she's getting kind of old for their drop-in programs (programs that I have to attend with her). They have a toddler program but it's only one hour on Tuesdays (and, again, I have to be there). Swimming lessons also require a care giver (and cost quite a bit of money). And the closest public library offers a brief sing-a-long but only on Fridays (when she happens to be in daycare...and caregivers must be in attendance as well).
When I was Googling drop-off childcare in Toronto, I came across a Toddler's Morning Out program up at St. Claire and Bathurst. It's quite a hike, but if there was a coffee shop around, I could get some work done for a couple of hours while Adelaide interacted with other kids. They haven't called me back, and apparently there's a waiting list for this program (honestly, what else is new?), but it's exactly the type of thing I'm looking for.
From what I gather, these "Mother's Day Out" programs used to be pretty prominent back in the day (when women used to stay at home with their kids), and they continue to be pretty popular in many U.S. cities. They were hosted by local churches, and offered an affordable way for moms to get some free time (in two-hour chunks) to do some grocery shopping, attend appointments or just clear their heads.
I have no idea why similar programs aren't available here. I mean, why is everything geared towards children in their first year of life? There have to be other moms out there who didn't go back to an office job and are looking for a two-hour break? Am I the only person out there who finds it incredibly distracting, exhausting and draining to take care of a toddler? Not to mention, Adelaide needs interaction! She's a very social butterfly.
If anyone out there knows of some Mom's Day Out programs, or even fun, interactive things I can do with Addy as the Fall rolls around, I'd love to hear your suggestions!