On sunny afternoons, I strap my baby Rio in a carrier and we go to swing on the swings at the local park. He giggles as the wind blows through his hair.
One day, we are joined by a friend who had taken the day off to come visit us. Our swings are slightly out of sync but we compensate by talking and laughing loudly. A thin woman holding the hand of a little girl notices us, bows and politely introduces herself and her daughter. Eventually, she makes her round to greet all the other mothers in the park.
This woman is making her "park debut." How she is accepted by the other mothers will determine her social life in the neighborhood and ultimately, her child's fate in school.