Last week an email went out on my neighborhood’s listserve asking for mothers interested in forming a babysitting co-op. Two mothers would be in charge of watching everyone’s kids for a few hours one day a week, and then the next week another two mothers would take over the babysitting shift; with a minimum of four people in the group, each mom would get a few hours off every other week to do as she pleased. The woman trying to organize the co-op lives around the corner, has a daughter the same age as my son, and seems like a nice person. Even better, here, finally, was my chance to foist my beloved but wearying child onto a third party and steal some time for myself (even if I waste it on something dumb like much-belated spring cleaning), and without it costing a penny.

Yes, it sounded like a great solution, so then why was I composing a mental list of all the reasons it was a bad idea for us (the baby would get sick; how could I trust these other mothers I didn’t know?; my schedule changes too much and I wouldn’t want to flake out on anyone; what if my son went missing in someone’s house now that he’s mobile and fast enough to get down the hall and stuck under a table, NOT THAT I WOULD KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT)?
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We’re smart women, educated consumers, technologically savvy, and always on the lookout for the quickest/easiest/most efficient way to do anything, especially if we think it will help us do what’s best for our kids. But can we all agree that we (the collective, consumerist “we”) sometimes get carried away? That we’re so over-primed—by the media, by our peers, by our own worst fears—to jump on the newest bandwagon and buy the latest gadgets that it’s starting to get a little out of control? This afternoon my better half directed me to this article from Reader’s Digest that pokes fun at some of the newfangled “must-have” parenting products available. The larger implication here—that companies prey on our insecurities, that marketers take advantage of our instinct to protect our families—is a serious topic and an important one, but today I’ll admit that my brain was just fried enough that I couldn’t muster even a modicum of moral outrage and so instead just read the article and nodded and laughed at what fools we mortals be.  
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