Nataly,
I'm so glad to hear of your experience. Although I'm all too aware of the "Mommy wars," my experiences in building a "mommy network" have been overwhelmingly positive. Two of my daughter's close friends have stay-at-home moms; these moms bend over backwards to help those of us who juggle work and family, and they do so with grace. We all work together in different ways, we communicate with each other about how the kids are doing, and both the kids and the moms benefit. I think the children benefit particularly from experiencing a mix of moms who work outside the home and moms who stay at home--we contribute to them in different ways at different times. And it's not cheesy at all to recognize that working together is key. The most wonderful thing about your note is that you were able to let the other mom help you, and your child, out. You'll recriprocate at some point--and you'll strengthen your bond with that mom, in the process.
Best,
Jeanne
