Visiting

I want to preface by stating that I have no interest in being a hermit.  Far from it, I would love to visit with friends more often than I currently do.  I enjoy being social.

That said visiting friends or family or public attractions can feel like more trouble than it's worth with a small child in tow.

The easiest thing for me is when I have friends come over to my house.  I don't have to count diapers and plan snacks and drinks for my little one.  And my son is more likely to take his regularly scheduled naps at my house.  But my house is not always as tidy as I would want it to be for entertaining guests.  So part of what factors into if you will ever be invited in is my perception of how relaxed you will be about the state of my home (chances are I didn't finish doing the dishes or have time to vacuum before the door bell rang).  So if I have to worry about you giving me a hard time about how little house keeping I managed to do while being a full time caregiver, chances are you will never see the inside of my house.

Going to a friends house can be fun, especially if my son and I have been over to your house before and everything went well.  But going to someone else's house can feel risky especially if we haven't done so before.  Is your home childproof enough for me to bring my child?  If my son picks something up off the floor at your house is it going to be a thing that he would be safe to play with?  Do you have pets that might interact poorly with my son?  If I have to continuously redirect my child to keep him safe and to protect your things, it's not going to be a relaxing visit.

Public attractions vary wildly in how age appropriate they are for the child in question.  I prefer to visit public attractions on days when they are less busy.  That way I can let my son run around without bothering others.  So lets go someplace where that is alowed.  My child might be too young for the fine art exhibits at a museum but the zoo or aquarium on a week day might be just the thing.

All that said if a friend calls, I'll find a way to pencil them in. ;)