ModernMom: Returning the Favor

Generally speaking, it’s my practice to give back when given to. If someone invites my family for dinner, I plan to host the next time. Bring me chicken soup when I’m under the weather? I’ll be there with flowers when you’re feeling blue. But now I find myself on the receiving end of a deal that’s feeling uncomfortably one sided.

As a working mother, my children are used to fairly long days in child care or after-school programming. And, of course, one of the great things about my child care center is that it caters to working families, so except for national holidays, the center rarely closes. Not so with public school. In fact, my son’s school has announced that every Thursday for the next eight weeks (yes, eight weeks) will be an early release day. Enter my guardian angel neighbor. Lo and behold she has two kids in the same predicament and since she’s available to pick them up, why not let her pick up my son as well and have him come to their house for a play date for the next eight weeks. (Yes, eight weeks.) That works … it’s fabulous, in fact. But how in the world can I reciprocate? Does my profound gratitude and repeated thank-yous suffice? Should I offer to host her children at my house for eight Sunday afternoons, or is that over the top? If it’s “an eye for an eye,” doesn’t it stand to reason that it should be a play date for a play date?