This is a fair balance in a good home

- I want my son to play football/hockey/soccer/la crosse, says the father adamantly.

The mother finds a good team and coach, fits practice around her already tight schedule and drives to and from training several times a week. She buys the gear, washes it after practice, makes sure it's all packed for next time and liaises with other mothers about newsletters, carpooling, snacks and fund-raising.

The father tries to fit at least some of the matches around golf practice at weekends.

Late night on a school-night?

I have discovered that staying out late on a school-night is not a motherly thing to do. Especially not if you pair your lateness with a few drinks.

The talk amongst the mothers at school pick-up is that you should refrain from leaving the home after six o'clock mid-week, and only stay out until no later than 9.30 on a weekend. If you really feel the need to drink (and why should you as you drive because you couldn't possibly take a cab because that would be way too... what's the word?...inappropriate?) you should definitely stick to one glass of wine. Or one cocktail - but that's pushing it.
There are still a few decadent souls who likes to flaunt the fact that they still consider themselves rock'n roll enough to talk both loudly and openly about how they go out to dinner with other mothers mid-week, and have at least one glass of wine and stay out until eight, or even nine o'clock. These mothers regard themselves as adventurous and young at heart. These are also the mothers who come up with the crazy initiative of a "mother's only-night" where one mother invite the rest of the mothers to their house for finger food, strictly BYOB, to talk about......your kids. And school. And after-school activities. Just like you do at pick-up. But with a glass of wine that you are desperately sipping very slowly so it will last the duration as you can't possibly be seen to want another glass.

And then there is the exception, the special mother, who not only goes to dinner, but then also rounds of her evening back at home, at 8.53pm, with a mojito.
- That was probably not a very good thing to do on a Tuesday, she says, and looks for sympathy, but secretly she thinks she's really cool and out there.

One mother was complaining yesterday about how tired she was when having her mother and sister around for dinner because they stayed 'till 11.30.
- 11.30!!! Can you believe it? I mean, come on!!!
Mojito-mom's jaw hit the floor.
- That is just too late.
- She turns around to me:
- I have a friend visiting from out of town. I have not gone to bed before ten o'clock three nights in a row now. I am starting to feel it.

OK. So do I or do I not tell them that I went to a gig last week and didn't come home until 3 or after? I am thinking it's probably not a very good idea.