Motherhood marks an important transition in the lives of women. With all the diaper changing, planning and preparing that it brings, it’s easy for most mothers to think that they have absolutely no time for friendship. It’s crucial to note here, that motherhood brings along a unique set of challenges and that makes it all the more crucial to have a solid support system of mothers who are going through similar trials – and, not to forget, incredible joys, too!
The Benefits of Making Mom Friends
Mommie friends are far more important than you can imagine. Here’s the lowdown on exactly why.
A tribe for your loneliness. Motherhood can be incredibly lonely. Things like midnight feeding and chronic sleep deprivation can leave new mothers incredibly overwhelmed. Making mom friends, then, becomes a vital exercise in creating a tribe you can lean on!
Having someone else that ‘gets it’. Even if you share your motherhood agony stories with your most supportive spouse and friends, nobody can truly ‘get’ what you’re feeling except for a fellow Mommie! Clearly one of the more pertinent benefits of making mom friends.
You have common ground for a rock-solid friendship. No matter whether it’s the fierce love you have for your children, or the incessant, irrational worries you harbor concerning them, you will find that you have plenty things in common with fellow mothers, that will lay the foundation for a friendship that might just turn out to be one of the best friendships you ever made.
How to make Mom Friends
Making Mom Friends is not quite as easy as it sounds. You want lasting friendships; not ephemeral ones that fade into the mist after a short while.
Start with your neighborhood
The first place you should be looking to is your friendly neighborhood. The reason is pretty simple: Proximity makes it all the easier to sustain those potential friendships over time. To do this, you want your child to spend as much time playing in the outdoors, or even go around the neighborhood with you. You might meet that potential Mommie friend in a supermarket, you never know!
Make the first move
You don’t want to be waiting around for other mothers to come up to you, as though you might be some ‘Mom Friend Magnet’. Make the first move yourself! Walk up to a mother you think you might be able to connect with, and strike up a conversation with them.
Tip: It might sound cheesy, but you could compliment the mother on the dress she is wearing. Or, you could take extra toys to the playground and let another child play with them. Anything that might get the attention of that ‘potential mom friend’. Making mom friends with kids around is a lot easier!
Use library programs/ other classes to your advantage
The library is a place where children start reading even at a few months of age. Take advantage of this by enrolling your child in a reading program. The benefits of making mom friends extend to your children, too – in this instance, they get to read some pretty awesome books! You can even sign up for yoga classes for kids. Again, a win-win situation for both you and your child!
Share contact information
Okay, so you’ve run into a person who you think might very well be your next best friend. Forget best friends; how will they be your friend at all, unless you get to see them again? Sharing your contact information is crucial when it comes to making mom friends, so you don’t have to simply ‘wait around’ to bump into them again.
Tip: Find out how they would like to be reached out to: phone call, WhatsApp or even email. Don’t persistently call/text them. If it is meant to be, it will happen.
Organize a Mommies’ night out
Okay, this one’s hard to be able to coordinate with all the potential moms in the group you’re looking to make friends with, but even if you get a few to say ‘Yes’, it will be well worth it. This is a really cool way to make mom friends, because, like you, the other mommies in the group are looking to seriously unwind, and your invitation to them might very well be just the thing to help break the ice and what’s better, get to know those mommies intimately, as well.
Plan the first playdate
Certainly one of the best ways to make new mom friends is by planning that first playdate! If you’re planning one at your place, schedule it at a time when the energy levels of your child are generally high and they are less prone to having a meltdown. In all probability your children will have fun playing with each other and you could use this time to bond well with your new ‘Mommy friend’, too.
Tip: Don’t let that playdate last more than a couple of hours, especially in the beginning. The children who were otherwise looking like the best of friends, might just turn into staunch enemies!
Make friends with the mom of your child’s bestie
Making mom friends with kids never got easier! If your child is especially close to another in his school, go out of your way and get in touch with his mom. You could even invite her over to your house, in an attempt to get to know her better. It’s easier to strike a friendship with your child’s bestie, because you will in all probability be seeing them at events like birthday parties and sports events. And remember this: there’s a good reason your kid chose that child as their bestie. They must be awesome, and there’s no guessing where that awesomeness stems from!
Your next best friend is out there waiting for you. All you need to do is to take the initiative, and you might just be pleasantly surprised to find someone who will be a great support to you through some pretty difficult years of motherhood. Join EuroKids now and give your child the chance to socialize with other children, while also allowing yourself to connect with other mothers who can play a crucial role in your child’s growth and development.
