So, if I’m being honest, I’m not a pro at this by any means. With just moving to a different city (& state), I’m still meeting new people and in the beginning stages of this myself. But, I want to touch on the ways I stay in touch with long distant friends and how I’m making an effort to make new connections in our new town.
This is my first season of being a full-time stay at home mom. Before we moved, I had a small part-time role at our church and the kids were in the downstairs church daycare while my husband and I were upstairs working. So I was still able to go downstairs to nurse my daughter and didn’t feel like I was “leaving” for work. This was only 2 days a week.
But, when you’re a full-time stay at home mom, it takes effort, work, and intention to stay connected with adults. And you need that! You need adult conversations apart from changing diapers and doing the dishes LOL.
First off, I stay connected with a handful of friends from where we moved from. Just because you move, doesn’t mean you need to lose all those friendships. And now that I’m home full-time, those friendships and connections are crucial to me! Each friendship can and will look differently in how you communicate, but my favorite way is through an app called, “Marco Polo.” There are a handful of friends that I regularly stay in touch with through this app. It allows you to feel like you’re on a Face time call, but you can watch the videos at your own convenience. I love sending videos to my close friends sending updates, showing them my kids, showing them my new house, asking how they’re doing, telling them what’s new with me, etc.
Another way to stay in touch with long distance friends is through texting. If I don’t want a certain friendship to end, I make sure I am texting them asking how they’re doing every once in a while to catch up. It doesn’t take more than a minute to send a text to a friend or acquaintance. These ways are both important.
Now onto the harder piece of this… making new friends. I am an introvert at heart, so it is hard for me to go up to people and just start chatting. But, you have to put yourself out there. Join a mom’s group, introduce yourself to someone at church, etc. Message someone on FB asking if they’d like to get coffee. Ask a mutual friend to help connect you with other moms around your age. Schedule kid play dates (I’ve heard your kids friending each other can be a great way for the moms to become friends cause they’re kind of forced into it haha). It might be awkward but making those connections is important and needed. Get you and your kids out of the house to play with other kids and to give you time to chat with another mom in a similar season of life as you.
I kind of feel like this was a big jumble that made no sense. But overall, moms need friends outside the home. It’ll take work and intention, but it’ll be worth it. And ask God to bring you those solid friendships. Trust that He will.
Proverbs 18:24 “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Tia Marie
tia marie 