If you belong to a playgroup/mom's group...

AimeeL85 · June 2013

...or any type of thing like that. How did you find it, and did you start going to it without knowing anyone? Are you close with the moms? Anything else you can tell me about it?

Since moving last year, I really haven't ventured out to meet new people. We joined a gym class for DS and might start a short music one soon, but it's not something where I really get to talk to other moms much.

There is a Mom's Club in the area that I am trying to get up the courage to join, but I hate going into something not knowing anyone and having no idea what to expect.

I'd also like to see what other options there are, but I can't find much googling, so I'm wondering how you found your groups.

TIA

joyfullyfound · June 2013

When I was pregnant, I went to a Baby Fair in our area, where I heard about my moms group. I joined without knowing anyone when DD was about... 10 months old? The first month was free, so I though, "Why not?" The women are great, and it's a newer group, so there's no established cliques to break into, which is nice... I'm not super tight with anyone yet, but I'm working on it. A few of them have added me on FB, and I'd call two or three friends.

sbevmc09 · June 2013

I found it through meetup.com. I started going without knowing anyone. It was quite a big step for me, but MH really encouraged it and I'm so thankful years later that I took that first step. Yes, we've made really good friends.

Joining our playgroup is seriously one of the best things I've ever done. Being able to get out of the house regularly and see friends and do fun things saves my sanity. I'm a homebody so if I didn't have the motivation to meet up with friends I would stay home far too often.

I'm now the organizer of our group. The only thing I can tell you is just jump in. The first group you try might not be a good fit (but it might, it was for me!), but don't be discouraged. Also, in our group there are people who are quite close and have been part of the group for years, but there are plenty of new people too. Sometimes at events we have multiple people who are meeting us for the first time. I say this because you might not be the only one. And even if you are, there might be people who are relatively new. I know it might seem intimidating to come into an established group so keep it in mind that you might not be the only newish person

I really understand what you mean about not liking to go into new situations on your own without knowing what to expect. I struggle with that too, but you HAVE to try it. Doooo it. Seriously though, what do you have to lose? If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out, but you won't know until you try it.

csharpe636 · June 2013

I found a local MOPS group. We meet formally 2x a month and then random times for playdates and mom's nights out. I love it and have found some good friends in the group. I didn't know anyone when I went but I needed to meet other people. I didn't really have a lot of friends in the area and none of them had kids. I've loved it and have learned so much too.

smerka · June 2013

I'm in Mothers and More. I went to an open house and it was kind of like that scene in Animal House where they keep moving people to the same table (this is Clayton...). I stuck with it and joined a playgroup with in the group. I've made some genuine friends and met some people I'd probably never really want to see again, but it's been a good experience. Just do it. Making friends as an adult is one of the hardest things I've had to do.

lisamoe · June 2013

I'm not in a MOMS group of any kind, but I did find some new friends at activites for kids. Including: story time at the local library and a toddler gym class (like Gymboree, but its not Gymboree.)

I was just friendly and would always talk to the same people week after week, we eventually exchanged numbers and made plans for play dates.

gracefulruby33 · June 2013

I basically googled "moms group" and it took me to meetup.com and I joined a group through that. There are about 50 members with kids ranging from 6 months to preschool age. I joined without knowing any of the members and I am SO glad I did it. I have met some really fantastic women through it at I know I will become better friends with. Few of them live in the area that DD will be going to school with, so that is both a positive and negative thing for both she and I. She will have a set of friends outside of school and I will too. We have had so much fun on the playdates. They get us out of the house obviously, but also the money from annual dues goes to some pretty fun things that the event hosts set up (petting zoo, bubble bonanzas, etc).

blushingbride_08 · June 2013

A friend invited me to a new mom support group at a local hospital. I got the scoop on the moms groups from them. They were all via meetup. I've made many friends thru it. I'm sure I would be pretty depressed without my support system.

+ASH+ · June 2013

I'm a member of Mops through my church. I wasn't going to join, since my kids were school aged (my kids are the oldest of my group of friends) but a friend of mine started the group and two close friends are group leaders, so they "made" me go

. It's every other week for about two hours and covers a lot of topics, so it's always interesting.

mylittlesunshine · June 2013

I also found mine through meetup.com. I am very shy so it was a huge step by joining and then actually going. So far, the women seem to be nice and very inviting. They have a ton of events through the month and even have connections to get into local attractions for a discounted rate.

Ms. Lisi · June 2013

DD and I do Gymboree play and learn classes. They have them set up by age, so none of the kids are big enough to bully each other. I love it because the teachers are very friendly and most of the moms are there to do what you are there to do... wear out their kids and get them to socialize. And there are some dads too, which is kinda cool.

Before that, I joined a PEPS group here in the Pacific NorthWest. Peps is basically a mom's group. You do pay for 11 weeks, and then when your paid groups are over, you and the moms can decide whether or not you want to keep in touch and keep the groups going, like at people's houses. This was good for me because I am a bit of an introvert.

About not knowing anyone... well, that is kinda what the groups are there for, right?

Tally06 · June 2013

LOVE mine. I found it on meetup.com. I am very lucky to have a very, very active group in my area. The women are awesome.

I now consider some of the moms my close friends.

No one discusses politics or anything that would give rise to a heated debate which I think is a good unspoken policy.

Marymak07 · June 2013

I LOVE my MOPS group! I hadn't done anything like that before I moved - because I already had SAHM friends/people to get together with during the day. But when we got here, I went nuts the first month or so not knowing anyone.

MOPS was recommended to me and I LOVE it. I have made some really great friends through it! It meets formally 2x a month, but there are also lots of playdates/informal get togethers. It's been a lifesaver.

4RingCircus · June 2013

NandaB:
I found mine on meetup too, but try moms club international

momsclub.org

I used meetup first and still go to events occasionally. But our library group introduced me to momsclub and we now have a weekly play group.

sophie206 · June 2013

Ms. Lisi:
DD and I do Gymboree play and learn classes. They have them set up by age, so none of the kids are big enough to bully each other. I love it because the teachers are very friendly and most of the moms are there to do what you are there to do... wear out their kids and get them to socialize. And there are some dads too, which is kinda cool.
Before that, I joined a PEPS group here in the Pacific NorthWest. Peps is basically a mom's group. You do pay for 11 weeks, and then when your paid groups are over, you and the moms can decide whether or not you want to keep in touch and keep the groups going, like at people's houses. This was good for me because I am a bit of an introvert.
About not knowing anyone... well, that is kinda what the groups are there for, right?

I just joined a PEPS group that will start in September for parents with 2 kids between 0-3 years old. I'm hoping it will be a good fit for me to meet others with 2 young ones. Several moms I've met belonged to PEPS groups when their kids were babies and still keep in touch years later.

Other groups I've experimented with were a meetup.com group--but it doesn't have many meet-ups so I've only been a few times--and DD started co-op preschool at 2 years old. Since the parents work in the class weekly and we have monthly meetings, I've gotten to know the parents and now we're attending weekly play dates with them over the summer. We also met a few Moms at baby story time at the library.

chardonnay24 · June 2013

I met my mom's group at the library. We all had common interests and kids within 6 months of each other, so we started having weekly play dates. We've kind of drifted apart lately, some of the moms have gone back to work, some are busy with older children, and some have had their own but we still meet once or twice a month.

I have also noticed groups that meet at a local baby boutique. It's hosted by the store and anyone is welcome to come.

Mc_Newlywed · June 2013

Go ahead and contact the MOMS Club in your area. You can absolutely go to one of their meetings and try out an event before you commit to join.

It's hard to know if you'll click with the other moms and fear of the unknown can be paralyzingly but you'll never know if its a good group for you unless you try!

bumpuser924057 · June 2013

I sought out my local chapter of MOMS Club international because my DH's best friend's wife was the president of her chapter and I always saw her posting stuff about it on FB. That was, hands down, the best decision I've ever made. I didn't know anyone in the group when I joined, but the moms in the 2011 babies playgroup are all very active and we all became fast friends. I honestly don't think I could have made it through these first couple years of being a SAHM without them.

catycate · June 2013

I started going to a breastfeeding support group and a bunch of us just sort of spun off and started our own. We did a facebook page and hang ou frequently. The are about 30 of us and we have all found our own "group within a group", but still all of us get together for parties, bigger playdates, etc. I often say I would have lost my mind if I didn't meet these ladies. The other SAHM and I meet up at least once a week.

Spin313 · June 2013

My hospital has an amazing Parenting Program and one of the things they do is run groups for new parents...daytime groups for moms and nighttime groups for couples. They form groups of about 12 moms or couples when babies are about 4 months old, and the groups meet every other week for 6 months. The Parenting Program sponsors speakers about a range of topics like adjusting to parenthood, feeding, wellness, sleep, baby sign, child proofing, etc.

I joined a group when DS was four months old and took over as leader at the end of the six months. We met every other week until our kids were four and went off to preschool, then it became harder to schedule. The moms would still meet for coffee regularly and, now that it's summertime, we meet at various parks every other week to stay in touch and play.

I loved my experience so much that, when DD was born, I ran a group as a leader for the program. We have an absolutely awesome bunch of ladies and 11 of us still meet biweekly. 7 of the moms just had their second babies, so I foresee us meeting for a very long time to come.

Dochas · June 2013

I've tried 2 groups without knowing anyone. One I didn't care for at all. The other was MOPs and I felt comfortable right away. I think if a place doesn't make a new, vulnerable person feel welcome immediately that is your first sign that it's no fun.

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