The Mom Friends You’ll Have (and Need) in Your Life

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As children, I think we all just assume that we will make a few friends and by the time we are Moms, those same friends will still be with us. We picture our lives intertwined while dating, getting married, having babies, and growing older. The reality is not quite so rose-colored, but it’s still a beautiful thing. While I am sure that no list could really encompass ALL the types of friends, here are a few that I think most of us can identify as being one of our friends, or even the type of friend that we are ourselves.

Fading Childhood Best Friend

Children are so loving and open that making friends is simple and having a “best friend” is easy, too. What’s not so easy is when you spend so many years together and then drift apart. Maybe you try to hold your friendship together and have a few awkward friend dates before calling it quits and maybe you just let the friendship die. You may have some sadness over the loss of that person, but just remember that they taught you some great lessons and gave you some fun memories.

Forever Childhood Best Friend

Same as above, but this is the one (or more) that manages to stick it out through all the awkward teen years and then the arrival of a family. If you have this person in your life, you are beyond lucky to share a lifetime with them♥

New Best Friend

I truly believe that you do not have to know someone for a long time in order to really know them and to count them as your best friend. A true friend will be that way from the start and you will just instantly connect. These friends are wonderful to discover as an adult, like a little surprise in an otherwise challenging time in your life.

Shooting Star Friends

I like to call these friends shooting stars because they blaze into your life and make an impact, and then slowly fade out. They are wonderful people who come into your life at a time when you need them, serve their purpose, and then move on. And this is ok. It’s ok to have temporary friends. No one is hurting the other if this relationship doesn’t stand the test of time.

Your Kids’ Friends’ Mom Friends

These Moms will usually be just as busy as you are, but willing to meet up to keep all the kids happy. Maybe you guys don’t go out for coffee and pedicures, but you are still united in raising the same kind of kid. In my life, I have lots of these and I make sure I get to know them before my kids can go to their houses. They seem to want to do the same, and so there we are in a “committed” relationship….committed to making our kids’ social lives better than ours, maybe….

Work Friends

Our work friends are a breed of their own usually. We see each other almost every day year after year. We commiserate about the downs of our job and celebrate each other’s successes. Maybe you hang out outside of work and maybe you don’t, but these people are very important either way.

If you are a SAHM, it’s a little different because your coworkers are also your bosses and employees at the same time – and let’s face it, they can be crazy sometimes and make you want to quit your job – so it’s a good thing they are so cute!

Volunteer Friends

If you are a volunteer-a-holic like me, you will undoubtedly have friends that you have made through an organization. You’ll know each other’s kids and enough about each other to be true friends, even if you don’t get to do anything together that isn’t fundraising or benefiting your kids in some way. Just getting to be friends often takes a back burner to all the things on the To-Do List.

Social Media Friends

I know that these are pretty taboo these days, but the truth is that if you have a social media account, you have friends. Maybe you only show them the side of you that you want them to see and maybe they have never even met you in person, but they can give you encouragement and advice. It’s ok to call these people your friends. Think of them as modern pen pals. If you find yourself surrounded by too many that you don’t know and they aren’t lifting you up, cut them free. You don’t owe them anything and their sole purpose in your life is to make you happy (and that’s ok!).

Sports Mom Friends

Raise your hand if you spend much of your time shuttling kids to practice and washing uniforms. Yep, I thought so. Youth sports has become a huge part of our lives and it’s no wonder that we tend to make friends with those around us. We can root for the same team and make our schedules match up. And we can share the insanity of it all together- that helps tremendously when we are running on a few hours of sleep and the only time we get to sit down is in a “bag” chair on the sidelines.

Frenemy Friends

This one kind of makes me laugh. Most people don’t see this as good relationship to have, but I think these people teach us lessons in diplomacy and give us a good reason to compete. In a world full of participation trophies, a little true competition doesn’t hurt! Just be sure you are being your true self and competing for the right reason (to make yourself feel better, not to make the other person feel worse.)

Which of these friends are you? Most of us will be several of these types of friends- which I think is really interesting! I believe that we can be different with different people and still be our true selves. Who said being a Chameleon Friend was a bad thing?

 

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Audrey M.
Hey Ya'll! I’m Audrey, a middle of nowhere, East Tennessee transplant. My husband (and forever crush) Andy and I were born and raised in Ohio State Buckeye territory, where we met in junior high school and married halfway through college. We have 2 tweens here on Earth: Lucas-the sweetest jokester boy you will ever meet, and Alaina-a charismatic and responsible redhead. We were hoping for a bigger family, but it wasn’t in the cards for us. For years we vacationed here in and around Knoxville, and so when the opportunity came to move here, we took it! Prior to moving here, I was first and foremost a Wife and Mother, but filled my days at a special needs preschool, title company, and as a FT volunteer-a-holic. In my spare time, I love diy, crafting, reading and writing. And I will always be a barefoot farm girl at heart. We raise/grow our own food- and I occasionally even make dinner out of our homegrown goodness- but I hate cooking! I can’t wait to immerse myself in this sweet, southern community!