If you are a stay at home mom then you would know how difficult it can be to make friends. Your day may consist of carpool, play dates, and errands leaving you little room for a social life. When you do however, find an opening in your schedule for some social time you are left not knowing what to do with that time. Sure you would like to have some coffee with a friend or meet up with a friend and enjoy a nice day in the park with the kids. But you can not do any of these things because you don’t have any friends. You detached yourself from the social scene a long time ago when you became a parent.
If you are interested in building friendships but do not know where to begin take a look at some of the ways and places you can go to meet friends.
Before attempting to make friends you have to exude confidence and be very optimistic. Some parents may not be willing to open themselves up to a friendship but this should not discourage you.
Go to the park and let your child play with the other children.
If you notice that your child shows a particular interest in one child at the park, look for that child’s parent and spark up a conversation with her. You could start by asking the parent how old her child is. If the parent is more of a gregarious person she should have no problem continuing the conversation. Take a look at her body signs, if she appears to be open to talking then continue to talk with her. If she seems annoyed or uninterested with your presence do not continue talking to her. If the two of you hit it off well you could let the other parent know that you are looking for playmates for your kid, if she is interested offer her your number.
Enroll your child in extra curricular activities.
Think of some activities your child might be interested in and enroll him/her in them. When you pick up your child from the activities ask him if there is any particular kid that he enjoys playing with. The next time you go to pick up your child ask him to show or introduce you to his friend. Now that you know how your child’s friend looks you will be able to easily spot out the child and his parent. If you notice the child and his caregiver ask the parent if she would be interested in play dates. If she is interested then you could exchange numbers.
Go take your child out for a walk.
You never know what people you will meet on your daily walks. A parent may just come up and strike up conservation with you out of nowhere. If you do meet some pleasant parents, exchange numbers and schedule play dates.
Post ad on internet.
If you feel comfortable meeting others online you can post an ad in the parenting section of such websites as craigslist.com. You can mention that you are looking for mommy friends (or want to start a mommy group) to do play dates with. You will be surprised at how many responses you will get back. If you choose to do this make sure that when you first meet the person, you meet in a well lighted area where people frequent.
Engage in a hobby –
Such as cooking class, music class, gym class, whatever class interests you. Get to know the people in your class. You might find that some people have kids the same age or near the same age as your kid. Exchange numbers and meet up for a couple of play dates.
Go to mommy group-
This is the easiest way for parents to meet other parent. Almost every town has an organization that funds mommy groups. The local library usually holds weekly story hours for children and their parents.
Know your neighbors.
Get to know your neighbors and find out if they have children close to the same age as your child. Exchange numbers and invite them over to your home. Within time your friendship should prosper.
