8 Tips for Moms Looking to Meet Other Moms
Being a mom can sometimes feel… confining, especially if you’re a stay-at-home mom. Your children feel like your entire life and it’s possible to forget who you are as a person. It’s important to have friends, but it’s tough to have non-mom friends who don’t understand your schedule or challenges. You’ll need to make some friends who get you, so use these tips to meet other moms.
1. Don’t assume other people aren’t open.
Many of us make the mistake that other people aren’t looking for new friends. In fact, studies show that most people are open to making a new friend at any time, regardless of how many friends they currently have. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that everyone has their life just how they want it. Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with a nearby mom; you never know what could happen.
2. Find common ground.
The most effective way to foster any relationship is to build it over similar interests. When you meet someone new, focus on the things you have in common before discussing the things you don’t. For example, if you meet a new mom at a park, it’s safe to assume that she values her kids getting exercise, so steer the conversation toward your view on the subject (which are probably similar because you’re at the park too).
3. Start your own group.
You could easily create a group or club dedicated to something that other moms will find appealing. Post a note on a bulletin board or other community place. Your group could be about anything; exercise, books, movies, or simply an evening of conversation over wine.
4. Find moms online.
Popular social networking sites are great places to meet anyone, but you can go even deeper. Meetup.com is a great way to meet people who share similar interests. You can plan activities together and do exactly what you like. Mothers of Preschoolers, La Leche League, Mocha Moms, MOMS Club or Stroller Strides.
5. Meet moms at the park.
Parks in busy neighborhoods are a great scene to meet other moms. You’ll make the strongest connections with moms who are similar to age to your own; your life struggles and events will be similar. Ask other moms about their kids to get the conversation started.
6. Join a fitness group for moms.
Some exercise groups and classes are designed for moms. Either they utilize certain workouts moms need after pregnancy or they’re designed for kids to come along. Stroller jogging is popular, as are some Mommy & Me classes (like Gymboree, Little Gym or Music Together) that include babies in the yoga poses and workouts. Use these places to meet moms and then schedule other times to visit – it’s tough to chat while breathing hard.
7. Attend a library story time.
Many local libraries have classes designed just for children where a librarian or educator will read a story to a group of kids (usually the story involves an important life lesson). Sit in the back with the other moms who (like you) aren’t enthralled in the story. Use this opportunity to connect. If you have to, bribe with snacks.
8. Meet moms are pregnancy-related classes.
If you take a Lamaze or breastfeeding class before you have your child, this is a great place to meet moms – especially moms who are on their first child and could use some peer support. Ask about birthing plans, nursery arrangements, and other pre-baby topics to break the ice.
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Written by Stephanie Parker from Sleepingbaby.com, inventor of the Zipadee-Zip
The motto for Sleeping Baby, makers of the Zipadee-Zip, is: "Inspiring Dreams One Night at A time," and that, in a nutshell, is how it all started…with one little dream that has since become the Parker family's reality. When Brett and Stephanie Parker's daughter, Charlotte, was born, the feeling that welled up inside of them was indescribable; they never realized until first looking into those baby blues of hers that they were even capable of that kind of love.
When it was time to transition baby from swaddling, the Parkers tried every sleep sack on the market and every swaddle weaning trick they could find for nearly two weeks and nothing worked to get baby Charlotte to fall and stay asleep.
Stephanie became determined to restore sleep and sanity to their household and set out to find a solution that would soothe Charlotte's startle reflex and provide her the cozy womb-like environment she loved so much but still give her the freedom to roll over and wiggle around in her crib safely. Out of sheer desperation and exhaustion, the Zipadee-Zip was born. The first Zipadee-Zip(R) Stephanie put together on her little sewing machine worked like magic!
To date tens of thousands of Zipadee-Zips have been sold and all from word-of-mouth marketing. It is so rewarding for the Parkers to see other parents and babies getting the sleep they both need and deserve!
For more information, visit sleepingbaby.com.
Interested in writing a guest blog for Sleeping Baby? Send your topic idea to pr@sleepingbaby.com.
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