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Playdates are wonderful. They are an opportunity for our children to learn and practice social skills. They are a chance for them to develop friendships. An opportunity to play with children outside of their siblings. They are also a chance for us to bond with other moms! There is, however, a downside to playdates. How do you deal with the other children? No two mamas parent exactly alike. We all have our areas that we are "hardcore about" as well as ones that we "slack" on. What about when our styles clash with fellow mothers in our same play group? What about those times where their children are behaving in a way in which you wouldn't allow yours to behave? How do you handle this tricky situation? Have an Upfront Conversation: Depending on the bond you share with the fellow moms at the playdate, it's great to kick things off with a general statement. Something like "Hey guys, I trust y'all so feel free to get onto my kids if you see them ...
We all remember high school. The struggle of finding friends. How much you valued those friendships. The reality is, high school never truly ends. And finding friends as a mom? Even tougher than in high school! It's hard to SEE other moms let alone make those connections to actually begin a friendship and then have the time to allow that bond to strengthen and grow. A lot of moms I know just shrug their shoulders. I meet so many moms who see the NEED and VALUE of friends but just don't even know how to begin making them. And guys there is SUCH value in friendships. Especially in this busy, crazy, kid-filled phase of life. We need our tribe. If you have been putting off forming friendships then I encourage you to make it a goal for this year. Even make a list! See a girl at church who looks friendly that you'd like to get to know better? Write her down. Got a friend on Facebook who likes all of your posts and always says nice things? Write her down. See a mom at the schoo...
Today I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner as part of the "Build 'Em Up" series! All of my life I have been more of a one-on-one type of friend rather than a big group of friends type person. I typically have one super tight bff and other casual friends but I mostly invest myself into that one friendship more than any others. Friendships were never too hard to find...as a girl it was my next door neighbor, Michelle. She was two houses down from me and we grew up together so it was a natural friendship! Throughout school years my friendships formed in the classroom setting. Claire and I were besties all through middle school and have even continued to be friends into adulthood. When I moved to Florida for my freshman year of high school Jonathan, my cousin, was that super tight friend. Another natural friend since we were family! Autumn was my best friend that I met in school and we were very close that entire year. That was a hard year for me and l...
I love all the parenting magazines I get and enjoy most of the articles. I do, however, fall behind in my reading of them. We keep all the magazines by the toilet ( best place to do a little reading, obviously) and when I get a new one I just stick it in the magazine holder and grab one when I'm doing my thing. I just read the August 2009 issues of Parenting Early Years and stumbled across an article that got me thinking. It was all about the different types of friends that every mom needs to have and why. I got to thinking about the friends I have and where they fit on this list and also the kind of friend that I am to other people. Friend #1: The Mom in the Same Boat: You need her b/c she "gets it." And you can keep her by trying to spend some one-on-one time without the kids and make it fun. Yes, you're busy with work, kids, errands, house, and other craziness but the more mom time away from play dates, the better. Make a date-you both deserve it and probab...
