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Did you know 64% of moms feel friendless? That is a staggering statistic. The fact is, motherhood can be seriously isolating! Whether you moved to a new city or just welcomed a baby to your household, each stage of being a mom presents challenges that almost always involve loneliness. And throughout each challenge, you just want another mom to relate to. Having a mom tribe to share with, lean on in times of difficulty, and spend time with is essential to taking care of yourself.
But boy is finding and making mom friends hard. Not only are mamas the loneliest bunch, they also are the busiest (and hardest to track down). That’s why we’ve pulled together our list of 5 simple ways for moms to find and make mom friends they will keep for life:
1. Attend a mommy & me yoga class.
We’ve found that no matter where you live, whether it be a big city or a small town, you can almost always find a yoga class for you and your little one. Here’s why that’s awesome - first, you know that everyone attending is a mom. Second, having your kids with you is a great ice-breaker for meeting someone for the first time. I mean, how easy is it to ooh and aah over each other’s babies as you get more comfortable with each other? Third, these classes tend to be pretty inexpensive (yay affordability!). So head to a class and start mingling with potential mom friends! And don’t be shy - if you vibe with someone, ask for her phone number and set up a coffee date.
2. Join a mom match-making app like SocialMama.
Technology is truly amazing these days, so use it to help you! SocialMama is an app built by women to help moms connect and build friendships. You simply tell the app what kind of mom you’re looking for (i.e. couch potato vs marathon runner) and make “unique need” selections such as divorce, autism, or infertility, and the app matches you with moms! Whether you’re looking for a mom in your neighborhood or someone to chat with around the world, SocialMama will find the right mom for you. The app also features an open mom Forum where you can ask experts questions, give advice, and join discussions. Available for download on the App Store and Google Play.
3. Go to the dog park.
Before you say, “But I don’t have a dog!”, just hear us out. There is no better way to casually start a conversation with someone than around adorable fur balls playing in the park. Don’t have a dog? Go to your local shelter and ask to take a dog to the park, for a walk, or even as a short-term foster. You could ask a friend or family member with a pup to go on a trip to the park with you! There are many ways and we promise it will work. Start talking to women while you’re there and you’ll be happily surprised that you can talk casually and get to know them, without the pressure. That’s all the dog park does, it takes away the pressure and makes it easy to talk to people (we’re talking to you, introverts). Give it a try and you won’t be disappointed.
4. Join a mom Facebook group in your neighborhood.
These are popping up all over and in most cities, there’s actually more than one group. Try searching “[your city] moms” on Facebook and see what pops up. You also can Google search for “mom groups near me” and something is sure to be there for you to join. Once you get in the group, this is a great way to start talking with other moms in your neighborhood, join meetups, and (hopefully) finding a mom BFF! But be careful of mom-shaming, which tends to be prevalent in these types of groups. Here's a good article on how to lookout for mom-shaming online and how to deal with it.
5. Head to a few events with your kids each week.
How to find these events, you might ask? The Local Moms Network provides a handy tool for finding events going on each week in your city. With 100+ locations by 2020, simply find your location and explore the calendar of events put together by your city’s site curator. Find an event or two you and your child(ren) can attend, and take it as a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded moms in your neighborhood. Not only will you have a great activity to do with your kiddos, but you’ll also have ample ability to build strong mom connections.
Finally, we leave you with some advice for you ladies looking to make great mom friends - this takes EFFORT. You aren’t going to make friends without trying, so be ready to put a little effort in to get what you want and find what you’re looking for. Good luck building your mom tribe, you’ve got this!
JOIN THE SOCIALMAMA TRIBE
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