After moving to 3 different cities in the last 3 years, I've realized that making friends is very much like dating.
You go to a popular spot, scan the room, and make eye contact. Then you wait for the right time to approach and strike up a conversation. And you wonder if this person, this stranger, could be your new best friend.
Sound familiar?
As a mom, it goes beyond that. Does she have kids Riya's age? Is she a stay at home mom?? Is she willing to invest in a friendship that will cross borders at some point???
I'm in need of mom friends bad. Having that connection with someone that is going through the exact same thing you are is so therapeutic and keeps me sane.
I'm a shy person which makes this task even more difficult. And I've heard over and over again that its really hard to get into a social group here. I posted on several Facebook Mum pages that I'm willing to host a playdate at ours, but no response. Of course I'm also limited to the areas that are close to me as no one is going to travel 45 minutes to meet us. I get that. But its been frustrating.
I kept running into this girl from my building who has a 6 month old baby (non-walkers are always welcome at my place, ha) so I finally got up the courage to introduce myself and invite her over for tea. She happily agreed. Originally from Australia, she's been living in London for 10 years, the last 5 in Putney. I was hoping she would be a great resource to tap into despite the age difference in our babies. She gave me a few helpful tips, but I soon realized that our kids age difference would pose a problem in the near future. She kept telling me how she loves to go shopping, sip on her coffee, and run errands while her baby naps in the stroller. She asked me if I wanted to go shopping around lunchtime.
I think Riya stopped napping on the go when she was 4 months old. I told her to enjoy this freedom and shop for me as those days are long gone. Ironically I haven't run into her since then, but I'm not putting too much thought into that.
I have finally discovered a playground closeby and plan to frequent that playground and scout for some new friends. That's right, I'm going to stalk people! Wish me luck!
You go to a popular spot, scan the room, and make eye contact. Then you wait for the right time to approach and strike up a conversation. And you wonder if this person, this stranger, could be your new best friend.
Sound familiar?
As a mom, it goes beyond that. Does she have kids Riya's age? Is she a stay at home mom?? Is she willing to invest in a friendship that will cross borders at some point???
I'm in need of mom friends bad. Having that connection with someone that is going through the exact same thing you are is so therapeutic and keeps me sane.
I'm a shy person which makes this task even more difficult. And I've heard over and over again that its really hard to get into a social group here. I posted on several Facebook Mum pages that I'm willing to host a playdate at ours, but no response. Of course I'm also limited to the areas that are close to me as no one is going to travel 45 minutes to meet us. I get that. But its been frustrating.
I kept running into this girl from my building who has a 6 month old baby (non-walkers are always welcome at my place, ha) so I finally got up the courage to introduce myself and invite her over for tea. She happily agreed. Originally from Australia, she's been living in London for 10 years, the last 5 in Putney. I was hoping she would be a great resource to tap into despite the age difference in our babies. She gave me a few helpful tips, but I soon realized that our kids age difference would pose a problem in the near future. She kept telling me how she loves to go shopping, sip on her coffee, and run errands while her baby naps in the stroller. She asked me if I wanted to go shopping around lunchtime.
I think Riya stopped napping on the go when she was 4 months old. I told her to enjoy this freedom and shop for me as those days are long gone. Ironically I haven't run into her since then, but I'm not putting too much thought into that.
I have finally discovered a playground closeby and plan to frequent that playground and scout for some new friends. That's right, I'm going to stalk people! Wish me luck!
I know it can be really tough. Making friends as a married couple is hard but then when you have kids it's even more complicated because the kids need to be similar developmentally and as they get older it helps if they are the same gender too. I find as F gets older I gravitate more to my boy mom friends just because they get how crazy wild my child is;) I am praying that you meet a momma friend very soon!
ReplyDelete