Smarty Guide to Picking Up Mom Friends

By Katie M

You know the scenario all too well. You're a new mom at the park with your child. You see a group of other cute moms with their super cute kids. They're talking about play dates, the latest finds at your favorite children's boutique, fun things to do on the weekends, etc. They look like they are having so much fun and you'd love to meet them, maybe join their playgroup. As a new mom you don't have a lot of other "mom friends." You have a lot of friends from your "former life" when you worked 9-5, or a circle friends who haven't had kids yet. But this could be your opportunity to bond with others who share your experiences. So what do you do? How do you make these "mom friends"?

Trust me. Lots of us have been there! Everyone (at least my mom) has always said it's so easy to meet friends when you stop working and have kids. But I've found it quite the contrary. Maybe it's true when your children are old enough for school and other activities, but when you are home all day with your infant or child who is too young for scheduled social activities, meeting moms can be tough! Plus, in my case, I moved to the Triad - a place where I knew absolutely no one - when my daughter was just 8 months old. Making friends was not like it used to be when I was surrounded by people my age in an office all day long - a place where we all swapped plans for that evening's Happy Hour. Once I had my daughter, and moved away from a place that was my home for the past 10 years, my social life came to a screeching halt. That was...until I learned how to "pick up" other mom friends! It's true. In fact, I "picked up" loyal Triad Smarty Pants reader and Smarty Mom Summer R, at a playground, and we've been friends ever since!

I have always joked about how - since having children - making friends with other moms requires you to actually "pick them up!" You size them up, make your move with a witty remark, ask them if they want to get together sometime, exchange numbers, and voila! You've "picked up" a mom friend!

I must not be alone in this phenomenon because I recently learned of a web site (thanks to Summer) that help moms meet other moms. Cards For Moms designs stylish mommy calling cards which double as business cards with your contact information. On top of the awkwardness of meeting other moms, you probably also don't have a pen in your purse to jot down their name and number. Or if you do, you probably scribble your new mom friend's contact info on a crumpled grocery receipt only to lose it later. That's precisely the point Cards For Moms.com makes on its web site.

Says Michele, founder and designer of Cards for Moms, "When I worked outside the home, a business card was critical to staying in contact with other professionals. Why would it be any different for parents? Being a busy mother of a beautiful baby girl, these cards have been a useful tool to help me connect with other moms. After all, being a mom IS a full time profession!"

What a brilliant idea! I actually heard about these mommy calling cards before I saw this web site; my sister-in-law is an elementary school teacher in Charlotte and has witnessed young moms passing these cards back and forth. So, this idea is catching on and working!

Even if you're not a "new mom" and already have your circle of "mom friends," these cards are still good idea to have on-hand. It seems like I live at the park in the spring and summer, and I continue to meet other moms all the time. If only I had these calling cards a few years back! Oh, how did we live without them?

So Smarty Moms want to know: What has been your experience in meeting other mom friends? Have you ever received a Mommy Calling Card, and what did you think?

Posted by Triad Smarty Pants at 5:00 AM