How to Make New Mom Friends in 18+ Places: Part 3
On October 14, 2020 by Megan FolsomWe’ve all felt the struggle before… needing to find friends that fit into our life as moms, but not having any idea where to find them. Luckily for you, I’ve compiled a list of at least 18 different places to find new friends AND some tips on how to drum up conversations there. Before you get into this one, make sure that you’re all caught up on Part 1 and Part 2 first!
Places
Your Neighborhood
We go on walks around our neighborhood frequently, which means we’ve had plenty of opportunities to meet our neighbors around the block. We’ve stopped to welcome new families moving in and complimented neighbors on their yard and home improvements to start up conversations. When you’re out with your kids, you’ll most likely see other moms out on walks or playing with kids in their yards. It’s always the friendly thing to wave hi and try to give a compliment. If you’re feeling extra brave, you could always drop off a treat and a nice note to your neighbors that you haven’t met before. Obviously, this is much easier when you or they have recently moved in, but it’s never too late to meet your neighbors!
Book Club
Similar to the library time in Part 1, libraries often host a monthly book club for adults. This is a great place to meet other adults, parents or not. It’s nice that the main conversation topic is already set up for you, which takes some pressure off of you and means you don’t need to actively approach others right off the bat if you’re feeling shy.
*You can also check out this website to find other local book clubs in your area that aren’t hosted by public libraries.
MOPS
Like me, you have may have heard this term thrown around, but have no idea what it means. It stands for Mothers of Pre-Schoolers, because it was started by moms of young children in 1973. Nowadays, it includes all moms with kids of all ages and many meet-ups are hosted at different churches. These groups are the perfect place to meet other moms, because everyone comes to them looking for friends. You can search for local groups here to see if any are a good fit for you and your schedule.
Volunteer
This one is so open-ended, depending on your opportunities and life. You could volunteer at your kids’ school in their classroom, at a school activity or through the PTA. You could also volunteer through your church. Google is another great resource for finding service opportunities, such as this website. You’ll be surrounded by other kind, friendly volunteers. There are often meetings or meals with just the volunteers, where you’ll have an opportunity to chat with the other volunteers. Service is such a fun opportunity to mingle in a non-threatening environment where you are guaranteed to meet other kind-hearted people who are focusing on helping others. There’s no better setting to make friends.
Sports Team
Join a local league or sports team for a variety of sports. By doing a simple Google search, such as “adult basketball league Spokane,” you can find several options. If you don’t have your own team, most leagues have an option to sign up as a free agent and will place you on a team of other free agents at your same skill level. Try looking up any sport you’re interested in: softball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, etc.
Mom Apps
Did you know that there are several Tinder-like apps just for moms? One of the most well-known ones is called Peanut, but there are several others to try as well. Check out Smile Mom, MomCo, Hello Mamas, Hey! VINA, MamaLeave and Social.Mom.
Your Own Events
Host a girls’ night or a play date with any friends or neighbors you already know. Ask each of them to invite one or two of their friends and let them know that you’re trying to meet new friends! Enter your email address below to receive a FREE list of ideas for planning your own girls’ nights.
ANYWHERE
One of the main points of this series is that you can meet new mom friends anywhere and everywhere. I have met people at random stores, on the street, at planned events, at the park and online. Make it a point to go to everything you’re invited to, even if you want to back out last minute. Just make sure to smile, be friendly, give compliments and see every day as a new opportunity, even if you’re just running errands!
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