How Can a Single Mom Make Friends?

Being a single mom is a challenge. However, it can all be made a little easier with good friends by your side. But it’s not always that easy to meet new people. So how can a single mom make friends?

A single mom can make friends by connecting with other parents online in local parenting Facebook groups, joining the school PTA, or visiting public parks frequented by kids in the same age group.

These tips can allow you to branch out of normal social networks and make connections with minimal effort.

The rest of this article will tell you everything you need to know about making friends as a single mom, so you can cultivate quality friendships made to last.

Ways a Single Mom Can Make Friends

Making new mom friends as a single parent isn’t as challenging as it may seem.

First, it’s essential to realize that prioritizing yourself every now and then is a valuable habit to acquire. You can’t take care of your children without taking care of yourself too. Self-care looks different for everyone, but for some people, it involves a social life and spending time with friends.

You don’t have to sacrifice your ability to be a great mom to your children in order to make friends.

In fact, some of your friendships may actually benefit your mental health and the way you parent because friendships often provide good examples, advice, and understanding.

So how exactly can you go about doing this?

Here’s a list of the best ways to make friends as a single mother:

  • Interact with other parents at school
  • Join Facebook groups
  • Host Park Days for your children
  • Connect through Instagram
  • Join church groups
  • Start conversations at public places where single parents meet
  • Research singles events in your area
  • Frequent libraries, coffee shops, and gyms
  • Set up playdates for your children
  • Get to know your coworkers
  • Attend your child’s sporting events

Let’s explore each of these tips in greater detail.

1. Interact With Other Parents at School

One of the simplest ways to make friends as a single parent is by interacting with the other parents at your child’s school.

During the younger years of a child’s school career, many parents take it upon themselves to get involved with different activities at their child’s school. Some examples of these activities include fundraisers, PTA meetings, volunteering, chaperoning, and more.

If you’re interested in joining the social circle of parents at your child’s educational establishment, it might be a good idea to get involved too. This will allow you to connect with the other parents and form friendships you might not have expected otherwise

However, it’s perfectly understandable if you don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to extracurricular activities at your child’s school. You don’t have to devote hours that you don’t have in order to make friendships. And it doesn’t even have to be with a lot of people.

Connecting with the other local moms can be as simple as small talk during pickup and drop-off.

Whichever way you choose to go about this, other school parents are an excellent source for relatable friendships that can last a lifetime.

2. Join Facebook Groups

Another straightforward way to make friends as a single mom is to join Facebook groups.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a Facebook group is a way to make connections through Facebook’s social media platform. Groups are formed around shared interests, jobs, hobbies, experiences, and more. They’re a great way to discuss these shared commonalities and be on both the giving and receiving end of valuable insight.

However, Facebook groups are more commonly used as a way to casually network with people who are similar to you. Because of this, they’re a great source for finding new friendships.

Here are some different Facebook groups you might want to consider exploring:

  • Single moms or simply parents in your area
  • Parents at your child’s school
  • A group for your child’s extracurricular activities
  • Hobbies you have
  • Online workout groups
  • Study/ productivity groups
  • People with a similar job

The possibilities are endless, and it’s ultimately up to you to decide which groups feel right to you. But putting yourself out there and joining a group on Facebook is a great way to spark new relationships with people, regardless of your particular interests.

3. Host Park Days for Your Children

Another excellent method to find friendships as a single mom is to host Park Days for your children.

This is something my own mother did in my childhood. She and a few other moms got together to form a group and head over to the playground at a particular time once a week.

This was so effective because it allowed both the children and the mothers to create friendships. While the children bonded and played on the playground, the moms all had a chance to sit and talk while watching them play.

Additionally, the friendships grown between the children can allow future playdate potential. Organizing playdates for your children is a great way to connect and socialize with other parents.

4. Connect Through Instagram

Instagram is another great way to create long-lasting friendships.

This is because Instagram is a very niche-specific platform. People come together to post fun photos and videos about the different things they love, creating content from topics like reading, gaming, exercise, food, and more.

Because of this, it’s really easy to find other people in your particular “niche” and narrow down users who share similar interests to you.

Surprisingly, friendships form really naturally on platforms like Instagram. Conversations can spark after something as simple as leaving a comment or replying to someone’s story.

Here are some tips for forming friendships through Instagram:

  • Find people with similar interests
  • Find accounts with fewer followers
  • Like, comment, and interact with content
  • Reply to stories
  • Answer questions and polls on stories
  • Join or create group chats
  • Don’t be afraid to reach out to people through direct messages
  • Create your own content– other people will come to you!

While it can be daunting to put yourself out there, it’s important to remember that it’s probably just as scary for other people too. Don’t hesitate to be the first one to start conversations with people. Who knows? You might stumble upon a great friendship this way.

5. Join Church Groups

If you practice any religion, joining church groups can be another really great way to form friendships as a single mom.

Church groups often volunteer, participate in wholesome recreational activities, and host social gatherings or fundraisers. These activities can be a great way to get involved in your community and bond with people who share similar interests.

6. Start Conversations in Public Places

Starting conversations in public areas is one of the most traditional ways to form valuable friendships because it’s one of the most natural methods.

Conversations can sometimes form when you least expect them to. And more often than not, most good conversations lead to the exchange of contact information or an invitation to future social interactions.

A great way to form friendships is to simply be kind to the people you meet as you go about your everyday life. You don’t always have to go out of your way to form valuable relationships with people. Usually, they develop naturally.

Next time you run an errand or visit your local cafe, try talking to someone. Who knows? You might enjoy a really great conversation that can lead to a great friendship.

7. Research Singles Events in Your Area

Another great way to make friends as a single mom is to research singles events in your area and attend them.

While some singles events are explicitly made with dating in mind, others are purely designed for single adults to come together and just simply have a good time. These events can be a great way to form friendships because it gives you the chance to interact with many people just like you who share similar experiences.

Here are some ways to check for singles events near you:

  • Follow event centers in your area on social media
  • Check for flyers in Starbucks bulletins
  • Run a Google search for your location
  • Look into local churches that might be hosting one
  • Word of mouth– connect with other single parents at school or work

Whether or not dating is on the mind, singles events can be a great way to have fun and bond with new people.

8. Frequent Libraries, Coffee Shops, and Gyms

Another simple way to make good friends as a single mother is to visit areas like libraries, coffee shops, and gyms.

The reasoning behind this particular selection of areas is that these are all places frequented by a wide variety of people with a broad range of different ages, experiences, and interests. People visit these locations to not only complete tasks but also socialize. Your likelihood of finding a solid friend in these three places is pretty high.

However, you can’t always wait on other people to come to you. Sometimes, you have to be the person to put yourself out there and start a conversation. Don’t be afraid to just say hello to someone who seems to share similar interests with you.

9. Set Up Playdates for Your Children

If you have younger children, setting up playdates for your little ones and their friends is a fantastic way to promote friendship between the children and the parents.

When kids want to have a playdate with each other, it’s typically coordinated by the parents. It involves communication and planning on both ends to schedule a proper time and a place for this particular playdate to take place.

Because of this, playdates often promote many conversations between the parents of the children involved. You have to talk about the who, what, when, where, and how– and additional talking is bound to take place in between.

So if you’re looking to expand your social circle, setting up playdates for your children is a great starting point.

10. Get To Know Your Coworkers

Getting to know your coworkers is an additional simple solution to the friendship problem.

It’s important to connect with your coworkers to promote good teamwork, higher productivity, and a good working atmosphere. However, you might find that your relationships with the people you work with often turn into long-lasting friendships.

Bonding with your coworkers is a great way to make friends naturally. You work with them on a regular basis and you’re obligated to do so, so that can make it a little less nerve-wracking to seek them out first. Again, you shouldn’t be afraid to kindly put yourself out there and make connections wherever you can.

11. Attend Your Child’s Sporting Events

If your child participates in extracurricular activities in the athletic department, sporting events are an excellent way to form friendships with the other parents.

Sporting events are usually attended by the friends and family of the children involved.

This means that if your child has a connection with another teammate, this can be a great starting point to befriend any parents, relatives, or neighbors who might be rooting for that particular teammate.

However, you don’t have to use your children’s connections to form relationships with the other parents. Sporting events make it easy to have conversations with the other parent because the event itself often creates a great talking point.

Next time you attend one of these events, try branching out and talking to people you wouldn’t usually talk to. With other moms, it’s usually not hard or awkward to exchange phone numbers or set up play dates.

How Friendships Benefit Your Health

While single mom friends can be enjoyable, they can also benefit your mental and physical health in ways you probably didn’t expect.

Research suggests that forming valuable friendships can actually reduce stress, make you feel more productive, assist in coping with challenging experiences, navigate complex areas of your life, and increase your overall levels of contentment. Investing in relationships is essentially investing in your own well-being.

This is why it’s so important to have friends, especially as a single parent. Navigating parenthood alone is difficult enough. By putting effort into creating valuable friendships, you can boost your overall help and increase your ability to continue being the great mother that you are.

Do Women Tend to Lose Friends Following a Divorce?

The short answer is yes. But not because of some nefarious purpose.

When you are married, you tend to gravitate toward other married women in similar circumstances. But once you divorce, you might find that group of friends feels awkward now. Not because of anything they are doing necessarily.

But you’re no longer in the same boat as them.

That can eventually lead you to move towards social circles closer to your reality. Think back to when you first got married. Chances are in those early days you still had a lot of single friends. Then slowly many of those in that social network slowly faded away unless they too got married.

Like attracts like.

And so we naturally tend to surround yourselves with people we can relate to. Now your best friend and super close friends will always be there no matter what.

But a lot of the times, many of our more casual friendships that were routed in getting together as couples will shift in the wake of a divorce.

Conclusion

It can be tricky to create valuable friendships as a single mom at this stage of life, especially for those of us who have a tighter schedule than most. However, by following this list of tips, your chances of making good friends will most likely increase.

It’s challenging to navigate being a single mom. However, you don’t have to feel like you’re handling everything alone. Finding long-lasting friendships or even just one close, supportive friend is more important than you’d think.

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