On Monday night, I attended my very first Mingling Mamas event (organized by Rhody Mamas) at Studio B salon in Cranston, RI. What a blast! It was fun to get out for a few hours to socialize and hang out with other adults. 
I even had a very tasty adult beverage concocted by the Cocktail Guru.
Before I had children, I vastly underestimated the importance of mom’s (and dad’s too!) groups to help you stay connected to other adults. Because I have chosen to stay home with my kids, I sometimes find myself craving some adult only conversation at the end of the day!
Shortly after my oldest son was born, I joined two local moms’ groups. Most of the moms I met there had children that were the same age my son. There is a certain camaraderie that comes with going through the exact same parenting phase as someone else. You know that you can vent about certain child rearing issues, and the other person knows EXACTLY how you are feeling!
You can also get some great parenting tips from other moms and dads. Some of the best pieces of advice I have gotten have been from moms I met through the moms’ groups I used to attend. Although both are now defunct, the friendships I have made through those groups will be everlasting.
It’s also SO important to get out on you own—even if it’s only once a month. It has taken me a long time to fully commit to getting out on my own at night. I am kind of like Cinderella. I turn into a pumpkin around nine o’clock at night. This often leads me to make excuses for not getting out of the house for dinner or other social events.
Lately, I have worked hard to change this. Although I may still be tired, I drag my butt out the door. I always feel better after getting out and enjoying some social “me” time. My aunt once gave me a very sage piece of advice about motherhood—“Don’t forget who you are. While being a mother is such an incredibly important job and identity, you can’t lose yourself in the process.” For some reason, this has resonated even more for me in the past year.
I LOVE raising my two sons, but I also want to take time to enjoy the other things that make me who I am. Getting out and meeting other people and socializing is one of them.
Do you belong to a Mom’s or Dad’s group? If so, what have you learned from being part of the group?
i have never belonged to a parent group, but I have met parents of my kids friends. I have the kids all day Sunday while DW grades papers etc so I have a network of 5 mothers (and 1 father – I get along better with mothers) that myself and the kids do things with on most Sunday’s.
I love that you get along better with mothers! 😉
I used to belong to a Mom’s Club, when my older boys were younger, and I made a few close friends, and even though none of us are in the club anymore, we still get together regularly, so it was nice to make those connections. Glad you had fun on your night out!
Thanks Michelle! The Mom’s clubs were a God send when they were babies! 😉
Yes- I can hibernate at night too, but feel so much better when I get out! We’re part of a play group every week where I’ve made some good friends, and I really look forward to adult conversation while the kids happily play (usually). I resonate with that advice about not losing ourselves, too. Glad you had such a good time!
Thanks Laura! I know–sometimes after a tiring day, it’s so hard to motivate yourself to head out. But I agree, definitely worth it!