Making New Mom Friends in a New Town

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It’s hard enough to make friends as an adult, but making new mom friends in a new town feels near impossible.

A lot of us long for that magical tight-knit group of moms to be friends with and enjoy while our kiddos bond and play together outside, but achieving this is tricky. When I recently moved, I needed to make friends for me and my kiddos, and fast. 

mom friends, women laughing

Seeing as I recently moved to a town where I know basically no one, I feel I have some good tips to share about making new mom friends.

First, share on Facebook and other social media platforms that you’ve moved!

You might be surprised to find out that someone in your network lives there or close by. That’s what happened to me. I joined Facebook groups associated with my new town and posted that we were moving there. Come to find out, I had a Facebook friend who lived there. We’d been friends on Facebook for over a year but had never met in person. Within a week of moving, she asked me to meet up for coffee and I made it happen! When I arrived at our coffee date, she had included another local mom and I instantly felt connected with both ladies.

cell phone

Say yes to social engagements and community events.

During our first week in our new town, there was a parade. I nothing about this event but made it a priority to go anyway.  When my 7 year-old peppered me with questions about the event, I just said, “I don’t know! It’s an adventure. Let’s find out.” This isn’t really my nature, but I want to show my kids that I can be brave and adventurous, just like they are. And it was so fun! It also turned out that the coordinator for the whole event lives just down the street from us. That’s small-town life.  

I was also recently invited to a homeschool meetup. I only knew one other person, the Facebook friend I’d mentioned earlier, and I was busy that day and nervous about attending. But I made it happen for myself and my kids because we need friends. I am a social person, but I do still have to work at controlling my shyness and doubt and meeting new people. I try to be friendly and ask questions about people’s lives. 

planner

Hang out outside your house and talk to the neighbors. Once you start talking to people these two phrases will be your best friend, “We just moved here,” and, “Are you on Facebook?” 

“We just moved here” is a great icebreaker. People love sharing about their town and asking about your move. I even taught this phrase to my 7 year-old to use with other kids as a way to introduce himself. After you’ve been chatting for a bit with someone new and you feel like this is a person you might want to talk to again, just pull out your phone and say, “Are you on Facebook?” Facebook is a social networking tool. This is exactly what it’s for. So many people are using it now that it won’t seem weird or unusual to ask this. Trust me. I do it nearly daily. If they happen to say no, I ask for their email or phone number. 

Facebook log-in screen

I think it’s most important to get out of your house and our of your comfort zone, that’s where you’ll have the most success making new mom friends in a new town. I know that sometimes following someone’s example is easier said than done. I certainly don’t have a solution for every problem, but I feel comfortable stating that if you’re home and lonely, one of your neighbors is too, and there’s a friendship just waiting to happen. 

How do you go about making new mom friends (or other friends)? Have you ever moved to a new town as a parent?

3 tips for making new mom friends after a move to a new town

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