Motherhood is a beautiful journey, but if we're being completely honest….sometimes it gets lonely. If you're a busy mom craving companionship of like-minded friends, you are in good company here. We are sharing tons of ideas for meeting new friends and making LASTING connections!
Welcome back to this week's blog post in our Freebs Community Collective series. This series is where we share life hacks, tips, advice, favorites and recommendations on a topic of your choice. Every other Monday, we share the topic of the week over on Instagram (follow here!) for you to submit your answers! As always, we will share your responses as well as Jordan Page's and the entire Page Company team's responses. Join the fun!
This week's topic is near and dear. We asked the Freebs Community for advice on how and where to meet new mom friends! The feedback was so helpful, and also made it abundantly clear that if you are struggling to meet and make friends, you are not alone. It's so common, but so important! We hope you can take something helpful from the advice of your fellow mamas in the thick of it. We're all friends here!
Jordan's Advice
You know, the truth is that I have had several periods of my life where I struggled with friendships. I always had lots of friends, but it’s taken some time to learn how to cultivate the DEEP and LASTING relationships.
It feels good to be on the other side of the lessons and mistakes and growth, and now be in a place where I have my tribe of girlfriends to go through motherhood with.
What I learned is there is a lot of vulnerability in one-on-one connections, and it’s easy to get caught up in your head with thoughts like “What if I’m more invested in this friendship than they are?” and “Am I bugging them or imposing too much?”
When I really began to intentionally seek out new friends that were in the same season of life – moms of littles – I started going to places like library reading time, my daughter’s dance classes, and local parks. But the main thing is I PUT MY PHONE AWAY AND SAT NEXT TO OTHER MOMS! I would just start a conversation with other moms I’d find at these activities. Was it as scary as it sounds? Not gonna lie, it was. But I have developed real friendships from it!
To this day, one of my very best friends is a fellow mom I met at my daughter’s dance class. I'm so glad I was brave and exchanged numbers with a total stranger because today we are besties who have traveled the world together!
There’s actually a YouTube video on my channel where I talk about this at length. I filmed it with Bubba a few years ago but it absolutely still applies today!
Challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone and be the first to say hi to that mom you've seen at the park or around your neighborhood! What's the worst that could happen?!
The Page Company Team's Advice:
- Catherine: I've met my mom friends through church and church-affiliated activities, through mutual friends, and by joining book clubs. One great resource to find book clubs or other group activities is Meetup.com. I've gone to cooking and backing classes and other volunteer opportunities that are bound to introduce you to some like-minded people in your area!
- Elizabeth: The best way I have found to make new friends is putting yourself out there. Be the person that invites people to a girls night out or create Bachelor Watch Party. I find that if I wait around, nothing happens. However if I instigate, something always happens.
- Alisha: I've met my most recent friends through our city's Facebook group. One fellow mom in the Facebook group wrote a post looking to meet moms with kids at a similar age, and we connected. Other women in the same local Facebook group decided to host a girls' night and invited anyone that wanted to come. It's turned into a monthly event, and we rotate hosts each month! If you're really looking for friends, it comes down to taking action and deciding to show up. It’s easy to comment that it sounds like a good idea but if you don’t take action, nothing will come of it.
- Mandy: my advice is plan get-togethers and invite people. Throw a lunch at your house, do a cookie night, book club, craft night…meet at a restaurant and drink copious amounts of caffeine lol. Can’t wait for other people to plan! I’m not always the best at this but I’m getting better!!
- Kenzie: Once I meet someone new, I try to schedule a get-together for coffee or something within the next week! I try not to let too much time pass before we can hang out again after initially meeting or swapping contact info. Most mom friends are always up to go for a stroller walk together, so it combines some outdoor activity with a friend date and it's a win-win!
Freebs Nation Advice:
Here are the responses we collected from you on where you've met mom friends and how to create lasting relationships!
- I meet most of my friends through my kid's school and activities.
- Join a group at your church! Some even have specific mom groups.
- Also make sure that you have realistic expectations for your friends. One person cannot possibly fit the perfect mold of your ideal friend; meet people half way, accept them as they are, don't expect someone to always be just as available as you are. Once I learned to just accept my friends as they are instead of wishing they would be less flakey or distracted, I felt less disappointment and more contentment.
- If someone invites me to their book club, I support them and go. Maybe I'm not actually the biggest reader but its about the connection, not the actual book.
- If you have a gym membership, try a new class once a week! Get to class 5-10 minutes early to socialize with anyone else there. You can even bond over your nervousness for a new class!
- Playgrounds, dog parks, and nursery pick-up time. See another mom? SAY HI!
- There's usually Facebook groups for your local area – whether that be a neighborhood, a school zone or an entire town. Join and see if any conversations might lead to a meet-up opportunity.
- Nurture the friendships you have, first and foremost. Maybe they are casual acquaintances now, but have the potential to grow into a deeper friendship with some intentional time!
- Make sure that you are coming across friendly and approachable yourself, as well.
- Local library events are awesome for this – and FREE!
- Any time I see a new family moving into the neighborhood, I always make sure to go introduce myself within the first week or two. It's the perfect excuse to go over and meet new people.
- Embrace Technology. In this digital age, there are numerous apps and websites designed to help you find friends. Apps like Bumble BFF, Peanut, or Meetup allow you to search for moms' groups or playdate opportunities in your area.
- Attend PTA meetings, volunteer for school events, or join committees. These are great opportunities to interact with other parents.
- Once you've met a few moms, invite them and their children over for playdates. This can be a great way to build closer friendships.
- Don't be afraid to ask your current friends or acquaintances if they know any moms in your area. Mutual connections can facilitate introductions. Word of mouth is the best advertising!
- Be Patient. Building meaningful friendships takes time. Don't get discouraged if your initial efforts don't lead to instant friendships. Keep trying and be patient.
Have any other advice or ideas you'd like to add? Leave them in a comment below! We are all here to cheer each other on and succeed in finding the meaningful connections we all crave!
Thanks for participating in this fun series and check back next month for our next topic!
In the meantime, you will love these other great blog posts!
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