Working Moms

Where to meet new friends/other working moms?

My social life has really been on the back burner for the past couple years & I really want to get out there & make some new girlfriends - preferably other working moms.  I've joined some mom meetup groups but most of their meetups are during the weekday or early evening which doesn't work for me (they're mostly stay at home moms).  And our weekends are so busy I just haven't had any time to go to any events then...  Any ideas on how/where to meet new people?  It's much harder to find new friends now vs when I was in college - it's tough b/c I've got such a full plate with working, 2 small kids, our house, etc.  But I really want to try to make it a priority to try to meet some new people - I haven't had a girls night out in way too long!
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Re: Where to meet new friends/other working moms?

  • Most of my "new" friends I met through daycare. In fact there is a group of us that met when my oldest (who is now 9) was in daycare and we still go out together. Our daycare hosts a potluck 2 times a year right at the close of business for the daycare families - they supply the meat and parents sign up to bring a dish. They have crafts (led by teachers) and general socialization time. This is a great opportunity to meet the parents of the kids my children talk about each night.  It has been so nice to meet parents who have the same constraints on their time but still want a social life. 
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  • I have a love/hate relationship with meetup. Our meetup group is the same way.. 95% of their events are during the week, and when they do weekend events, it's a mom's night out.. Which yes, I would love to get away, but I also want to spend time with my kid and my husband, who I don't get to see very often. And the majority of the ones going to the MNO activities are the SAHMs that go to every weekday event, so they come across as really clickish. 

    I have had success with meetup in other capacities - if I know we're going to be doing a weekend event as a family, I'll just post a meetup for it. I was always complaining that there were never any weekend events, so I just started posting them. I figure if they worked for me and my schedule, they might work for another WM in the same situation. I've met a few women who share an interest in running via a Saturday morning run, and I also had one other WM reach out to me via meetup to see if we'd be interested in grabbing lunch with her and her husband/kid since none of the posted meetups worked for her schedule. 


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  • Thanks for the tips.  Our daycare does a similar potluck 2x/yr too - we'll have to check the next one out & talk to more parents..  Good idea too about posting the meetup on the weekends & see if anyone else wants to join in!
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  • I host a mommy brunch w/ mimosas once a quarter for DC moms in my kids classes. Not all of them just a handful. It's great bc the kids have a play date at the same time.
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  • How do you go about hosting an event for the fellow moms?  Were you friends with them before hand or did you just invite through DC?
  • If you want to change something about your life, then you have to carve out time to make it happen.  Yes, you will sacrifice time with your husband and child.  It's not only ok, it's healthy. 
    DS born 8/8/09 and DD born 6/12/12.
  • BP607 said:
    How do you go about hosting an event for the fellow moms?  Were you friends with them before hand or did you just invite through DC?
    I met the other moms through DC at drop off/pick up, field trips or events. I learned who their children were and started small talk about kids, what area they live in and if they're interested in GTF or play-dates. I suggest a future play-date and you can always ask them to invite another parent they socialize with to increase your mommy circle of friends.
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  • I'm a member of the Junior League in my city and I find it a great way to meet women and get out of the house, child free or not.  While it's nice to be friends with the parents also at DC with us, being in Junior League lets me meet people who may or may not have kids yet, may or may not be married yet, but have similar interests as me.  We have our volunteer commitments that bring us together, but also "find your niche" events, and other events hosted by the League that help you meet other women with similar interests.
  • Not so much advice on how to meet folks, but I do lunch dates with a lot of my girlfriends. THat way it doesn't take time away from already busy weeknights and relaxing time on the weekend. Not that you shouldn't do stuff on the weekend (I agree w PP that it is healthy) but I understand that it can feel conflicted. Lunch girlfriend-dates are the best!
  • hocus said:
    The first thing to do is free up weekend time. It is fairly rare for working parents to socialize on weeknights.
    I met most of the working mom's I know through preschool/daycare play dates. It is a slow process to make friends that way but it is fairly organic and easy on some level because the kids are the same age and you have a lot of easy topics of conversation.
    I've though about meetup.com but I don't feel like I'm ready for that yet. I have though about maybe doing a yoga class and that is a good place to meet folks.


    I agree that it's a slow but rather organic process. 

    I posted a few weeks ago about feeling disconnected from most of my core friends, primarily because I am the only mom in the group.  They're all professionals, but many are single and a few years younger than me.  I love them and cannot wait till more are on the baby train.  (The married girls have all "pulled the goalie" so to speak so it's only a matter of time!)

    I'm finding more gratification in my mom friends too. However, getting to know them is harder.  Let's face it: we can't just party all weekend, go to happy hour whenever we want and work out at the gym for hours after work (aka me 10 years ago!). Hence, we don't finish a weekend with a new BFF.  And neither can other moms.  We get to know each other at the park, while our kids play after our insanely early dinners and when we carve out time on weekends.  It's worth it too. 

    While it's hard enough to make mom friends, I find when our H's get along, we all have more fun too.  Just a thought...

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