A MUMS GUIDE
Have you just moved? Or maybe you’re just thinking of moving? We moved from the suburbs of England to New York City and back to London and one of my biggest concerns was, how will I make friends in a new city?
The feeling of isolation as a mum can be really daunting which is why I wanted to write this post. I’m a stay-at-home mum to two little boys and I know, from my own experience that meeting new people can be difficult.
Luckily, there are multiple ways, and I’m pleased to say, that I made many great friends in New York and have started the process again in London (we’ve been here 4 months). I’ll get into them all in more detail below.
HOW DO YOU MAKE FRIENDS IN A NEW CITY?
THE PEANUT APP
This app is essentially Tinder for mums. You fill in your profile and swipe left or right to match with other mums. You can message people whether they’ve matched with you or not. I reached out to people in my area with kids the same age as mine. Other people I only messaged if they also ‘waved’ at me.
So is this app legitimate? It is, although you should take the usual precautions. Only meet for the first time in a public place etc. I met two of my best New York friends on this app and so far have met a couple of London friends through it.
Unfortunately, it’s not foolproof. I often find people ‘wave’ but then never respond to a message. With some people, the conversation comes easy but arranging to meet up doesn’t happen. You do need to put yourself out there and suggest a date and time.
You can download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
SOCIAL MEDIA
I’ve found the best platform to meet people is Facebook. I joined groups like ‘Moms of the Upper East Side’ and ‘British Mums NYC’. I met a couple of people just through engagement posts in these groups, which led to meeting more people.
So far, this hasn’t been so successful in London. My local group seems to be mainly spam but it is still worth trying. Simply search on Facebook your area name and mum/ mom.
IN-PERSON
This one is tough but possibly the best. Go to local groups, rhyme time, toddler classes etc and speak to people. I gravitate towards anyone with two children and just start talking. ‘How old are your kids?’ is a great conversation starter.
This way is great if your kids start playing nicely together as it makes it more likely they’ll want to see you again. Again, you really do have to put yourself out there and ask for their number. Explaining you recently moved to the area and would love to make friends with kids a similar age to yours is a good way to start.
I hope this post has helped give you some ideas about how to make friends in a new city. Remember, most mums are always happy to meet new mum friends. If you meet with someone who isn’t your cup of tea, you can naturally let it fizzle out.
Good luck,
