Networking is an absolute must for a new mom or mom-to-be! I know I would not have enjoyed my maternity leave or been as confident a mom without the support of my mommy friends! There's a special bond that we all share because we've all been through the same milestones at some point or another with our little ones. I also love the fact that James has a network of friends that he has know since he was 3 or 4 months old, so basically most of his life. I hope that no matter where life takes us all that we can try to stay in touch and that the kids can still remain as lifelong friends!
For those of you who are expecting or just had a baby here are some helpful ways to meet new moms in your area:
MeetUp:
One of the first things I did was search the Internet and I found a website called MeetUp. This was my jump start to meeting new moms. I looked for mom groups in my area and created an account. Next I started attending some meetups in my area. Once there I was able to talk with other moms and after getting to know them week after week we became friends. One mom I knew did something even better and she messaged other moms in the meetup site and suggested places to hang out. This is a great way to meet people!
Community Center or Library:
Check your local library or community center for baby drop-ins, reading groups for babies. My community center was a great outlet during the hot summer months. James and I would hang out there with other mommies and babies. We enjoyed playing and especially circle time where we sang songs to all the kids. They loved it! Also the local library usually has a story time where there is a special room and time for kids to read and to be read to.
Mom and Baby Fitness:
There are countless classes available for mom and baby like pilates, swim classes, yoga, and even salsa classes. Before you start wondering if I'm nuts, the way dance classes work is by placing baby in a carrier. Lol! Usually the community center will have these classes at a discount, but you can also check dance studios, etc for more information. Although I have never taken James to a swim class, the moms I spoke with say that they do water aerobics then swim time with the baby. Babies are in floaters while mom is doing aerobics so it's completely safe. :) My other mom friend said that her daughter would nap for 3 hours after swimming! So there are some additional benefits of exercise like some quiet time if you are lucky!
Gymboree Play&Learn Classes:
I am sad to say that I have still never been here, but I will get to Gymboree someday! :) My mommy friends swear by it and absolutely love this place. For babies they have a play & learn class that for 0-5 years and a music class for 6 months - 5 years. They do have other classes, but these will be the most relevant for new moms. I'd like to try out the music class perhaps on the weekend. As Gymboree can be expensive, look out for Groupon deals as I saw some last summer and believe that there will be more coming soon. I will post them on my FaceBook group: Silly Baba, Silly Mama if I see any. Once I attend a class I'll do a review to let you know what it's like.
Talk, Talk, Talk:
Another tip is to talk to everyone! I would talk with moms while walking down the street, while in my elevator, etc. The more people you know the better.
Once I had a few people that I thought were interesting, I started inviting them to come to my home for playdates, or meet to go for long walks, etc. through these means I have at least 10 close mom friends.
All of our babies are different ages so moms with older kids are a wealth of knowledge and you can help those with younger babies. I find that moms are a wealth of knowledge and are eager to help with sleeping tricks, recipes for baby, or just someone to talk with. As an added bonus the dads have gotten to know each other too and have been hanging out too so it's a win-win for everyone!
I hope you take my advice and use some of these means to meet some new friends, you and baby need it! Also if anyone else knows of other networking means, please share them with us on the blog!
Happy reading!
Rachel
For those of you who are expecting or just had a baby here are some helpful ways to meet new moms in your area:
MeetUp:
One of the first things I did was search the Internet and I found a website called MeetUp. This was my jump start to meeting new moms. I looked for mom groups in my area and created an account. Next I started attending some meetups in my area. Once there I was able to talk with other moms and after getting to know them week after week we became friends. One mom I knew did something even better and she messaged other moms in the meetup site and suggested places to hang out. This is a great way to meet people!
Community Center or Library:
Check your local library or community center for baby drop-ins, reading groups for babies. My community center was a great outlet during the hot summer months. James and I would hang out there with other mommies and babies. We enjoyed playing and especially circle time where we sang songs to all the kids. They loved it! Also the local library usually has a story time where there is a special room and time for kids to read and to be read to.
Mom and Baby Fitness:
There are countless classes available for mom and baby like pilates, swim classes, yoga, and even salsa classes. Before you start wondering if I'm nuts, the way dance classes work is by placing baby in a carrier. Lol! Usually the community center will have these classes at a discount, but you can also check dance studios, etc for more information. Although I have never taken James to a swim class, the moms I spoke with say that they do water aerobics then swim time with the baby. Babies are in floaters while mom is doing aerobics so it's completely safe. :) My other mom friend said that her daughter would nap for 3 hours after swimming! So there are some additional benefits of exercise like some quiet time if you are lucky!
Gymboree Play&Learn Classes:
I am sad to say that I have still never been here, but I will get to Gymboree someday! :) My mommy friends swear by it and absolutely love this place. For babies they have a play & learn class that for 0-5 years and a music class for 6 months - 5 years. They do have other classes, but these will be the most relevant for new moms. I'd like to try out the music class perhaps on the weekend. As Gymboree can be expensive, look out for Groupon deals as I saw some last summer and believe that there will be more coming soon. I will post them on my FaceBook group: Silly Baba, Silly Mama if I see any. Once I attend a class I'll do a review to let you know what it's like.
Talk, Talk, Talk:
Another tip is to talk to everyone! I would talk with moms while walking down the street, while in my elevator, etc. The more people you know the better.
Once I had a few people that I thought were interesting, I started inviting them to come to my home for playdates, or meet to go for long walks, etc. through these means I have at least 10 close mom friends.
All of our babies are different ages so moms with older kids are a wealth of knowledge and you can help those with younger babies. I find that moms are a wealth of knowledge and are eager to help with sleeping tricks, recipes for baby, or just someone to talk with. As an added bonus the dads have gotten to know each other too and have been hanging out too so it's a win-win for everyone!
I hope you take my advice and use some of these means to meet some new friends, you and baby need it! Also if anyone else knows of other networking means, please share them with us on the blog!
Happy reading!
Rachel
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