A little vino for the harried mom?

This morning I was watching The Today Show and they had a segment about mothers who break out the wine while their kids are over for a play date. Who in their right minds mixes wine and sandboxes? During the segment I was appalled to see wine glasses sitting on different playground equipment in the background and a bottle of wine chilling on the patio table while a little girl was sitting there drawing.

The woman they were interviewing even had the nerve to say something along the lines of, "Well for those that can go 15, 16, 17 hours with their kids and be sober, I want to see if they are a good mother." Basically she was telling America that you need to drink to be a good parent. I personally think that I am a good mother and I honestly don't need a drink to make it through the perils of motherhood like she does.

I understand about the whole socializing part, which trust me I needed to talk about more than Sesame Street and Bob the Builder at times, but why does alcohol have to be involved? Are you trying to tell me that you can't hold a conversation unless you are sloshing down some wine? In social settings, such as dinner or a party with other adults, I can understand if people drink, but why do you need to relax with wine when you are supposed to be making sure that Bobby doesn't fall off the slide or Susie isn't eating dog poop she found in the yard?

If you really are stressing out from having to raise your kids, why not have a Parents Social Hour where everyone meets somewhere and there are hired babysitters to keep an eye on the kids while you unwind with some cheese and wine?

I was reading the message boards regarding the show and someone had the audacity to say that it was ok to drink wine around your kids because wine tastes good, it helps you to relax, it is sophisticated, and it helps you teach your children about social drinking. I don't know about you, but why would you want to teach a toddler how to socially drink anyways? And who is trying to be sophisticated when they have baby drool sliding down their shirt?

Having a drink to unwind is fine, but be sensible when and where you are doing it.