How To Meet Mum Friends

It’s no secret that kids can take a toll on your social life. There are fewer nights out, more nights in – often spent watching TV with the subtitles on so you don’t wake up the baby. But an active social life is part of a healthy lifestyle – so even if you can’t do the things you used to do, it’s important to make and maintain friendships. And if you want friends who can empathise with parenthood, you’ll need to learn how to make mum friends. 

Making friends as an adult isn’t always easy, but there are a number of ways you can make friends with other mums and dads to inject some energy into your social life. Take a look at these tips for how to meet mum friends.

1. Attend Antenatal & Postnatal Classes

If you’re still awaiting the arrival of your baby, attending antenatal classes is a great way to meet other parents-to-be. Better still, your children are likely to be born around the same time and be local to you. And you’ll have someone to turn to when your kids reach pivotal milestones (or if they just won’t go to sleep), and it’s highly likely you’ll have the same struggles. Postnatal classes are also available for mums and dads caring for newborn babies.

Although group dynamics can be hit and miss, I am still very close to my NCT mums well over 6 years later. It’s been very helpful to have other mothers at the same stage of bringing up children. Check out the NCT site for classes near you.

2. Join Social Media Groups

Even if you’re not a super active social media user, joining local groups on Facebook and other social networks enable you to meet mum friends who live nearby. You can chat with people online before you meet up, giving you a chance to find things you might have in common. It also means you can find an activity that your kids will enjoy – whether it’s an after school club or a soft play area – while you connect with other mums over a brew.

3. Use Meetup Apps & Websites

Meetup.com is a fantastic website for finding like-minded people to hang out with – including other parents. It focuses on activities, and is designed for people who don’t know each other already – meaning everyone’s in the same boat when it comes to striking up conversations with strangers. Apps like Mush and Peanut are specifically designed for mum meetups, so they’re also a great place to start.

4. Get Chatting At The School Gates

If your kids have started school, the school run is a good place to meet other mums who are on the same schedule as you. Even if your kids aren’t friends (yet), this is a good place to start a casual conversation with other parents. With your children attending the same school, you’ll already have something in common. Plus, if you can buddy up with a group, you may find a whole host of new friends here.

5. Meet Your Neighbours

If your kids have reached the age where they’re starting to play out with other neighbourhood children, you can use this as an opportunity to meet the parents of other local kids. Make sure there’s always an adult keeping an eye on the kids by pairing parents up to supervise their playtime. Not only is it a great way to keep the neighbourhood safe, it also means you’ll have a chance to get together with lots of different mums and dads, increasing the chances of meeting someone you genuinely click with.

6. Go To Baby Groups

From singalongs to swimming, there are tons of mum-and-baby groups out there to help you get together with other new mums. Not only is it perfect for socialising your little one, it’s also a great way for you to meet mums with children of a similar age to yours. Choose activities that will help you connect with your baby and potential mum friends, such as baby yoga, reading groups, and singing clubs.

7. Reconnect With Old Friends

If you’ve fallen away from some of your old school friends, kids can be a good way to reconnect with them if they’re now parents too. Suggesting a catch up with a long lost pal may feel a little weird at first, but if you used to have a strong friendship, they’ll be delighted to hear from you. You’ll have years of friendship to fall back on for conversation topics. Plus, it’s a great way to help your little one meet a new friend.

8. Go To Local Public Spaces

You don’t necessarily have to go to organised events to meet mum friends. Local play parks, swimming baths, and even cinemas are good places to meet other parents and their kids. Strike up a conversation with someone who has a child of a similar age to you. If the conversation doesn’t flow, there’s no pressure to make it happen – you’ll still have a great time hanging out with your little one. 

How To Make Friends With Other Mums

Making mum friends isn’t always easy. In some ways, finding mum friends is like dating: you have to be proactive, forthcoming, and friendly. You can’t always wait for other people to approach you, and there may be times when you feel rejected. Sometimes, people you feel an initial connection with will fade out of your life as quickly as they entered it.

Don’t be disheartened if this happens to you. All mums need friends in their lives who can relate to the trials and tribulations of parenthood, even if they have partners and parents of their own on hand. Chances are you just haven’t found the right pal yet – so try out all these tips, and don’t give up on finding a fabulous group of mum friends to see the parenthood phase through with you!

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