Are you a mom in need of some mom friends? Wanting to find some friends in your area to meet up for play dates or a mom's night out? Having great friends is very beneficial and I see so many moms in online groups I am in struggling with loneliness.
A lot of moms can feel left out if their other friends do not have children or their children are not in the same age group. Some moms move to new areas and just have not found a group of people they connect with well yet. That is okay; there are plenty of ways to find some girl friends to spend time with.
What helped me a lot is finding ways to volunteer in my area and practicing going places alone...such as gyms and restaurants. I am pretty outgoing at times so I made an effort to simply get out the house and start exploring my city a bit. It is easy to sit online and get glued to social media. I always worked at home a lot so that did not help with my social life...
Now I have no problem meeting others and I really value my relationships with my women friends. I must say...they throw the best parties when we I visit them for gatherings. There is always so much good food and we get together for game nights or fine dining.
I am also in groups specifically for moms which is beneficial for my child. I will admit; it took me awhile to find the ones that were a good fit for us. I had to also keep in mind that this way for my child and a way for him to socialize since we homeschool. I only felt uncomfortable in one I tried; and that is okay! You just do not have to go back. Do not be discouraged if some just are not what you enjoy. At least you tried!
When I try groups or new places; I try to do as much research on where we will be meeting. I go to events in public places that seem to be in areas I feel safe in or have visited before. Be safe and avoid any groups that seem like they are selling items. Sadly; some people join online or in-person groups to pretend to be friendly...only to try to recruit you into a pyramid scheme the next day.
Now I can spot a scam a mile away so I do not have those issues anymore. When I was new to finding things to do online...it was frustrating. That is why I sorted through all the junk for you to find the groups and activities I have found legit and worthwhile for making mom friends.
Here are five ways you can begin making new friends today!
1. Join Meetup.com since they have groups to join nationwide for moms, book clubs and more. You can even start your own group if none interest you in your area. It is free to join groups and you do not have to start your own group if you would rather just attend meet-ups. Some groups may be fun for you to go to when you are kid-free some weekends and need some adult-interaction.
I have gone to some groups with women-only who get together for lunches, crafts and movie nights. I have also had my own mom group using Meetup in which I hosted play dates in my area.
2. Moms Club was a great resource for my son and I when we lived in a state where we knew absolutely no one. The group was welcoming and there are often a few chapters in each state or you can start your own if none are available where you reside. The mom group I was in would meet for holiday craft-making, play dates galore and pretty much any occasion to chat about all things parenting and what was going on in our lives. I felt these groups met a lot more often than other organizations I had tried which was nice!
This group was an amazing group of women who were so supportive of one another and genuinely there for each and every member. Every woman had a different story and we would often meet at one another's homes or parks for our children to play. I believe we had an application process for safety measures; but it was a great experience. I remember some ladies often organizing meal trains for those who just had a baby and what-not.
3. MOPS is often faith-based but each group I have been to is ran a tad differently. Most seem to meet monthly or so and are involved in the community or a church somehow. I had a nice experience anytime I have been to a MOPS chapter. With the groups I attended; certain people were assigned a dish to bring to some meetings and childcare was provided. There was usually a minimal fee but it was worthwhile just for the childcare alone!
4. Peanut is an app in which you can chat with local moms or join mom groups in your area. Some mom groups on this app meet for play dates and have great friend groups to be apart of...that actually get off their phones and get together! I LOVE that!
I will admit; it is so frustrating when I join parenting and mommy groups on social media in my area to meet up...and they never get together. I prefer getting out the house at least monthly or having girl friends to go grab bunch with. Besides; I spend enough time with technology while working and it is so much more fun to have a good friend to go to water parks and zoo adventures with.
Bumble BFF is another app for finding friends. I am not a fan of it; but I have heard of others having luck with it so I may try it again in the future.
5. Why not enroll your children in classes such as Tinkergarten? Your children can explore nature, learn and socialize while you possibly end up meeting new mom friends! Double-win!
