Episode 22 - A Vision for Your Friendships Part 2 - Here's How You Can Make Mom Friends

Hey Mama who may believe you’re the only lonely mom on the planet.

If you’re a lonely mom, you’re not alone. 51% of moms report feeling lonely. The truth is, you have lots of company. Many moms feel just like you. 

Before we dig into what you can do about Mom Loneliness, let’s explore Why you need mom friends. Your “why” will help you make adjustments in your life. Your why will help you take action steps even when you’ve got more than enough on your mom plate and might just feel like giving up.  

Here are 5 Reasons Why You Need Good Mom Friends

1.  The MomLife can feel all consuming. Mom friends can help you feel like you again, like you have an identity beyond being a mom.
2.  When we have a mom friend or two, we have a sense of belonging.
3.  Other moms are a source of knowledge and support – whether we are caring for our firstborn baby or kids who have left the nest.
4.  Fellow moms help us get out of our own heads. When we gather, we have an opportunity to air out our thoughts, be honest, vulnerable, and authentic.
5. Mom friends infuse a little fun into our busy lives. 

And by the way, all the whys above are not only why YOU need mom friends, but why THEY need you too. 

So How can you make mom friends? 

Well I suggest you start with a vision for what you want. 

• What do you need?

• Are you looking for a group? 

• Just one friend you can have coffee with? 

• Do you need some inspiration or motivation, something in common to share with other moms? 

Make a few minutes to really imagine what you want. Visualize – we can’t move toward something we can’t see or articulate. Close your eyes for a couple of minutes and imagine a friend scene or two. Who are you with? What are you doing? Are you in a coffee shop? Library? Class? Use your senses – breathe in the atmosphere. Notice the feelings, colors, scenes. 

When you finish your visualization, write down what you observed.

Want to take it one step further? Do a friend vision board. Put together words and pictures digitally that depict what you imagine a Ts your ideal friend situation on Google Jamboard. Print it out and keep it in front of you. 

Of course, you don’t have to do a visualization or vision board in order to make friends. But it is really important for us to know what it is we truly desire so when we fulfill that desire, we know it. 

Once you’ve come up with an idea of what you’d like your friendships to look like, it’s time to talk about action. What can you actually do to make new friends? Well, here are some ideas. 

 Look around you - Maybe there’s a neighbor, mom at drop-off, fellow churchgoer you see and wave to from time to time that could be a friend. Strike up a conversation.

2.  Check out local community bulletin boards online or in local libraries, churches, schools, gyms. Once you start looking, you’ll find there are events and happenings in your community you didn’t know about.
3.  Take a class or join a special interest group - running, pickleball, tennis, crafts, painting, writing. Once you’re involved, engage. Look for a friendly face and start up a conversation.
4.  Join a Moms In Prayer group (if you’re a prayer…or would like to be). This was a life-changer for me. This is a worldwide organization, with groups run locally by mothers who gather once a week for an hour of prayer for their children and schools.
5.  Be the mom you’re looking for and start a group of your own.