• About
  • Sponsor / PR
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Houston Mommy and Lifestyle Blogger | Moms Without Answers

We don't have all the answers, but we have all the fun

  • Mom
    • Parenting
    • Mom Life
    • Faith
    • Fashion/Beauty
    • Health
    • Blogging
  • Kiddos
    • Kids Activities
    • Kid Fashion
    • Family Fun
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Appetizers & Sides
    • Sweet Treats
  • Projects
    • DIY & Crafts
    • Home Decor
    • Cleaning & Organization
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
    • Parties
    • Gifts
  • Shop My FAVES

Why You Need Mom Friends + How to Make Them

August 16, 2016 By Sara Morris 1 Comment

I remember the first day Tomas went to work after we moved to Washington. I woke up, got the boys dressed, got myself dressed, made some breakfast, tidied up a bit… and wondered what the heck we were going to do living here. I had taken a break from my blog, we were staying in temporary housing, and we had only what we could fit into a minivan with us. We’d never even been here before, and then we moved here to chase a dream job, leaving pretty much everyone and everything we knew behind. I had no sense of direction, no sense of the area, no go-to spots, and knew exactly one person besides my husband.

Luckily, though, most of those things come with time. I eventually found Target, we eventually found a place to live, unpacked, and we love it here. But that’s not what’s made our transition here so smooth. You can know where all the beautiful hiking trails are, know all the short cuts to all the drive thru coffee places, know which Target cashier is quickest and will give your kids the most stickers. But it’s the people, the tribe I’ve been lucky enough to build here that’s made Washington feel like home. And of course we miss and love our Colorado tribe – we always will! 

But being a mom is already a tough gig, add in stark loneliness and I’d have already gone postal at this point. So today, let’s talk about mom friends. Those sweet sweet ladies who just get it. And also, tips and tricks I learned along the way in making mom friends that helped us start from scratch in a new place, and quickly feel at home.

(Also – huge huge huge shout out to my sweet friends who let my camera crash our Moms Brunch so I could have some nice photos for this post)

Why You Need Mom Friends-8

So, maybe you have friends already but they’re not moms. Maybe you just moved (like we did) and don’t know anyone. Maybe you’re just an introvert and making friends is a tough thing for you. Either way – why you need (good) Mom friends, in case you didn’t know.

  1. They just get it. We’re all flakes. All of us. We have all grand plans to get out of the house, be at a play date by 10, bring a homemade snack, bring a craft for all the kids to do. And then we show up late with the half eaten granola bars dropped off the side of the car seat, our hair in yesterday’s top knot, but you somehow managed to bring coffee or a bottle of wine. Mom friends? They just get it. They don’t care about the grease in your hair or how late you were. They’re just happy to see another adult, and have someone for their kids to play with. 
  2. They have good advice. Good mom friends will always be super helpful when you just don’t know what else to do. “This is what worked for us!” is the best phrase they can use. No pressure, just giving you information and options and man can it be helpful. And sometimes their advice is just “toddlers are hard.” Because they are hard. But so is every other age, isn’t it?
  3. They don’t always give advice. Sometimes you just need to vent. Sometimes they just need to vent. And a listening ear is a good enough. No strings or life coaching necessary. 
  4. They’ll say something to your kid. Y’all – I have 2-year old twins. I am constantly chasing after 2 loose canons running in opposite directions toward equally dangerous things. And lots of times, a mom friend of mine will run after the other kid for me, and man is that helpful. Or they’ll referee a fight. Or they’ll pull a rock out of their mouth. And I do the same for their kids. It’s just what we do.
  5. You have someone to drink wine with. And have Moms Nights Out with. And Moms Nights In. And Brunch (sans kids!). 
  6. They’re just as busy as you are. When you can’t make it to play dates for 3 weeks, forget to return a text, are running around multitasking for days on end, so are they. And when you catch each other in passing in the midst of it, you’re both happy to see each other, and totally understand why you have to run because nap time is in 20 minutes and no, they can’t just sleep in the car.

I mean… it all kind of boils down to my first point, doesn’t it? They just get it. And you just get them. At least I hope. I mean, I know the Mommy Wars is a big one lately, but eventually I think most moms just come to the realization that we’re all just doing our best, none of us knows what we’re doing, and this is hard stuff, man. And if it comes down to it, I think most people are more than happy to just concede with Good for You, Not for Me. And then join you in the next glass of wine. 

Why You Need Mom Friends-13

So… then if mom friends are so great, how to you find them? If you asked my mother who was navigating this about 30 years ago, it was much different. But luckily for us, we have technology at our hands and my goodness does it make making friends so much easier. So a few things I did when we moved to Washington to find myself some Mom Friends:

 

  • Facebook – search for groups in your area. Use keywords like “Stay at Home Moms,” “Working Moms,” or “Mothers of Multiples”, and don’t forget to look in surrounding towns, too, or in larger areas, like “Denver Metro Area” or “Seattle Eastside.” There will surely be lots of groups already established that you can join.
  • Meet Up – The search function in Meet Up is virtually the same as Facebook, but lots of groups have minimal joining fees (mostly to cover the cost of Meet Up). Usually less than $10 a year, and they will almost always allow you to go to a first event free to make sure it’s a good fit before you join.
  • Classes or Schools – I met quite a few wonderful women at our Cooperative Preschool we started attending immediately when we moved here. Other places like Gymboree classes, Music classes, Library story time, even Stroller Strides fitness classes – organized things that you can make during the day are a great way to find other moms who have similar lifestyles and children the same age.
  • Good Old Fashioned Public Places – this one is hit or miss, and definitely can be nerve wracking to approach someone in public and strike up a conversation. But whether they’re alone at the playground with their kid, or part of what seems to be a play date, they’re usually fine with you approaching, introducing yourself, and including you in their activities. Even other moms in the store, at the indoor play spaces, etc.

 

Why You Need Mom Friends-6

But then once you meet those wonderful ladies, then it’s all about cultivating friendships. Invite people to the park and make play dates, grab their phone numbers and start texting, follow them on Instagram, friend them on Facebook. Use Social Media! And then, start hanging with the kids more, doing play dates at your house or theirs. Keep it easy for people to show up (including you) and then just let those relationships grow.

My favorite thing that my friends and I do, and something that I think really helped us become good friends, was hanging out without kids. I know I just told you why you need Mom friends and now I’m telling you to hang out without kids. But when you’re chasing kids, talking in half sentences, staying distracted, it’s hard to really make friends. But we try to, about once every week or two, get together, make some yummy food (I mean seriously….look at that spread below), drink some wine, and just hang out. Not just as moms, but as women who all need friends, who all need a village, a tribe, and who all support the heck out of each other. 

Why You Need Mom Friends-1

Why You Need Mom Friends-11

Why You Need Mom Friends-5

Why You Need Mom Friends-7

I think the biggest thing, and the best thing we have done as a group of friends, is to tell people to come as you are. Sometimes people are in yesterday’s yoga pants, sometimes we actually had time to do our hair and make up, sometimes there’s a baby because a hubby had to work. 

But I never would have made these friends if I didn’t put myself out there. I will openly claim my Social Anxiety, will openly claim my home body-tendencies… but the loneliness that can be motherhood was way worse than showing up, than saying hi, and making friends. 

I hope if you’re where I was, finding yourself in need of a tribe, that you’ll feel a little more encouraged this way. I know it can be intimidating to make friends and put yourself out there, especially with all the judgment abound in the mom communities. But there are people out there like you, who just get it, who will love you and your kids as you are, and who need friends too, who need adult interaction, and need a glass of wine outside of the house. Trust me.

So tell me, y’all. How did you make your best mom friends? What do you guys do as a group? Are do you maybe find yourself searching for mom friends? Tell me!

Save

0 Shares

Filed Under: Mom Life, Parenting

About Sara Morris

Hey! I'm Sara. I'm a stay-at-home twin mama, married to my middle school sweetheart living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I blog over at SaraDear.com about all things homemaking. In my "free" time (what's that?) I love to organize things, sew, read, watch movies, listen to really good music, and drink coffee. Does that count as a hobby? Sure hope so. I'm so happy to be here on Moms Without Answers!

« A Letter To My Daughter Before Kindergarten
Self Care »

Comments

  1. Amanda D says

    August 16, 2016 at 8:21 pm

    I met my mom group (you included) on Facebook. Someone posted “we are going to the park if anyone wants to join us.” I went, made friends, then it was easier to be brave together. Go meet more like minded moms as a team! ❤️❤️

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hi, friends! I’m Channing. I am mom to 3 amazing girls and wife to my fire fighting hubby, Eric. I loving sharing all things mom life related – recipes, DIY’s, real mom talk, crafts and more! 

Insta-Moms: @momswoa

Instagram post 17951785348338518 Happy 4th from these little cuties. It looks A LOT different this year but we are still having fun.
.
.
.
#happy4thofjuly #happyfourth #fourthofjuly #redwhiteandblue #momblog #houstonmomblogger #momofgirls
Instagram post 17856710153004179 #blackouttuesday
Instagram post 17864637601827512 This is what happens on day number 3,568,743 of quarantine: ice cream sundaes for DINNER. We have been spending endless time together and decided it was time to start a new family tradition, so we picked up the new DIY Sundae Kit from @baskinrobbins! The kit comes with 2 pre-packed quarts of ice cream, 3 toppings, an entire can of whipped cream and cherries! Ice
cream for dinner will now be a weekly staple. The kids are definitely not complaining! It’s a fun day with a Sundae! 
Comment below and tell me your favorite Baskin Robbins flavor!

#QuarantineCreations #IceCreamforDinner #FamilyTraditions #ad
Instagram post 17855065096958471 Some of my #DisneyMagicMoments have been with some special moms in my life! So, I’m playing along and sharing some of these moments with you.

I have spent time with old friends and new and the magic is always there. 
If you scroll back far enough, you will see my first Disney experience and the moment I fell in love with Disney with my own mom! 
I would love for you to play along and share your favorite Disney moments with the moms in your life! Don’t forget to use hashtag #disneymagicmoments! I tag @pixiemousemichelle, @fivefortheroadblog and @mrsblinks! 
Happy Mother’s Day! 😘😘
Instagram post 17873430769680209 Happy Cinco de Mayo! 🌮 What is your favorite Mexican dish?

I could eat Mexican for every meal of everyday! If your looking for the perfect recipes to make for dinner, I’ve got you covered. 
Head on over the the blog for all of my favorite dishes! These enchiladas NEVER disappoint! I promise you will LOVE all of these recipes! 🎉
Instagram post 17885629336528535 May the 4th be with you! We cannot wait for the day that we get to be back at Star Wars Galaxies Edge. Batuu, we miss you! #maytheforcebewithyou #may4thbewithyou #disneycreators #batuu #bluemilk #wemissdisney
Instagram post 17850899390014309 Disney is challenging us to share our first pictures with characters! I had to join in the fun and it was the best trip down memory lane. Disney has been threaded throughout my entire life. I pulled a few of my most favorite memories over the years. From partying in the streets during the most epic dance party and meeting our most favorite princesses to me being a kid at Disney myself. Oh, I also had to add a picture of Cinderella’s Castle. She really is the most beautiful cast member of them all! 
@waltdisneyworld we miss you more and more each day. You’ve brought us joy beyond words and we cannot wait for the day when we get to walk down Main Street USA again! 
Ok, now it’s your turn. Find your old photos of your favorite Disney characters and share the magic. Also, don’t forget to tag me. I want to see all your memories too! 
@pixiemousemichelle @ericaligenza and @prettyprovidenceblog it’s time to share yours!#disneymagicmoments #myfirstdisneycharacter #disneycreators #disneyfamily #disneykuds #disneyworld
Instagram post 17904777073435611 EASY EASTER SUGAR COOKIE BARS! [AD] With Easter looking a little different this year, I teamed up with my friends at @hersheys to create a fun Easter treat using items you probably have in your pantry!
These Easter Sugar Cookie Bars are so easy to make. Store bought sugar cookie mix and cute colorful icing is the perfect foundation for @cadburyusa eggs and @reeses eggs. 
Looking for more treat ideas? Check out the fun recipes at https://Hershey’s.com/kitchen/en_us/home.html

Comment below and tell me your favorite Easter recipes! #cadburyusa #reeses #eastertreats #springdessert
Instagram post 18019712191263346 I’m joining my friend @andhattiemakesthree for #happymondaymemory to share some joy and fun around here!
.
.
.
Let’s take it back to the #happiestplaceonearth and our time in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge! Y’all, I don’t even have words for how amazing it is. And #riseoftheresistance is everything! Check out our video to see for yourself. We miss you @waltdisneyworld and can’t wait to make more memories soon!
.
.
.
Now it’s your turn! Share your favorite memory and let’s spread some joy! #evereveambassador #disneycreators #starwars #disneyhollywoodstudios #stayhome
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

There may be an issue with the Instagram access token that you are using. Your server might also be unable to connect to Instagram at this time.

As Seen On:

Keep in Touch

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Copycat Disney Churro Ice Cream Sandwich
  • Teacher Approved Educational Resources for Kids
  • 20 Fun Things To Do At Home with Kids

Blog Archive

Copyright © 2023 · Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Necessary Always Enabled