Making Friends with Other Moms
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If you're worn out from going to other moms, bring other moms to you. You can start a mom's book club, meet-up, or dinner night and advertise it on your local bulletin boards. It may seem odd for a shy person to opt to start a social group, but upon closer inspection, it may be just what you need. As the leader/founder of the group, you have some control over how the events run, the other members will probably have questions and initiate interaction with you, and you'll know you have at least one common interest with your guests.
Special Circumstances
It's particularly challenging for mothers who don't fit societal norm to find mom-friends. For example:
- Mothers of mentally or physically disabled children can find it hard to connect with other mothers. Play dates may be difficult because a child with special challenges probably won't be meeting the same developmental milestones as his peers. Other parents may treat both the special-needs child and his mother differently, and the other children might follow suit.
- Lesbians comprise a very small percentage of the population, and the percentage of lesbian moms is smaller still. Some lesbian mothers might simply blend into the mainstream mom-culture of their local area, while others may encounter exclusion based on homophobia or a general apathy toward anyone who doesn't fit the "normal" mother mold.
Some other cases that make it difficult to meet and bond with other mothers include:
- Living in a rural/low population area;
- Being significantly older or younger than the average mom in your neighborhood; and
- Being a stay-at-home-mom when most other mothers in your neighborhood work, or vice versa.
Women in these and other unique circumstances should use a combination of all the above tips, support groups, and social networking to find mothers who share similar life experiences.
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