Parenting is one of the most rewarding jobs, but it can sometimes be isolating. Your whole life changes when you become a mom, so being unable to identify with your friends can make you feel lonesome. Finding other mom friends or a support group to help you navigate motherhood is essential. Here are four reasons you need mom friends in your life.
1. Common Ground
Being a mom can be lonely when none of your friends have children. With other mothers, you can find solace in common ground. Especially if your kids are around the same age, you can identify with what other moms are going through and vice versa. It helps to talk to someone who has been where you are.
There are various places you can find mom friends. Start with your neighbors and go from there. Let your kids play outside with neighborhood kids and start conversations with other mothers watching their kids. Volunteer to participate in school functions or attend library programs to mingle with other moms. You might be surprised how easily the conversation flows with someone you don’t know but can relate to. The common ground of motherhood is unmistakable and can offer genuine connections with other moms.
2. Unwavering Support
Mom friends can offer support and wisdom for your motherhood journey. Not even your spouse can sometimes understand what you’re going through, no matter how supportive they may be. Lean on your friends who have been there and then do the same for other mothers on their journey. You could even form a support group with your friends for new moms to join to make it easier for them to find people who understand their situation.
It will get much easier once you’re past the sleepless nights and brain fog from this new life. Try planning a group dinner, where each mom brings a dish to share. You can vent about motherhood while not having to worry about cooking a full meal yourself. You could even exchange babysitter information or offer to babysit for each other to make date nights a possibility again.
3. Offer Understanding
When you have someone to confide in and vent to, your life can be drastically better. Mom friends can understand what you’re going through with your kids and other aspects of your life parenthood can affect better than anyone else because they’ve probably been there.
Moms often go through the same things in parenthood, so having company in a tough spot can make everything seem a little less complicated. If you’re having trouble finding friends, consider joining a support group for moms or reaching out on social media. Post in local groups on Facebook. You’re likely to find friends with similar concerns or ideas as you. You can use each other as a soundboard or be there for each other in different ways.
4. Celebrate Milestones
Having mom friends to help you celebrate your child’s milestones can be just what you need. They understand no accomplishment is too big or too small and can celebrate your wins with you. Check out the new-age app, Peanuts, to meet moms in your area with children in the same age range; you can begin chatting right away!
No one will understand the excitement you feel when you finally get to shower alone uninterrupted like a fellow mother. Mom friends will totally get it when you clean the house more efficiently during nap time. There are many feats and accomplishments in parenthood and some things are better understood by other women who have faced the same battles. Those triumphs deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated. Who better to celebrate with you than someone who has been there and felt the same things?
Making Mom Friends
Mom friends can provide an irreplaceable and unique bond that can become a vital role in your life. Your feelings and frustrations are valid and there’s no sense in feeling alone when other moms likely need you, too — you just have to find each other. Who knows? You might just find a new best friend. Get a mom’s number at playgroup and before you know it, you’ll be laughing at incoming texts that you relate to.
About The Author
Cora Gold is a mother and writer who aims to connect with other moms through her experiences with navigating motherhood. Cora is the Editor-in-Chief of Revivalist magazine and writes for sites including For Every Mom, MommyBites and Playground Professionals. When she’s not writing about style and beauty for her magazine, Revivalist, she loves to share her experience with family life. Follow Cora on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
