What to do When Social Life Goes Out the Window
Photo by Sam Lion
The transition into motherhood comes with many sacrifices– one of which is often our social lives. It’s easy to put friends and family on the back burner when our lives now feel like they revolve around your child, and rightfully so! But at some point, it’s important to take back our social lives and learn how to adapt to new habits with kids.
First: Give Yourself Grace
First and foremost you have to give yourself grace! As a new mum, your life has changed and your priorities are not the same as they used to be– and that’s ok. Finding ways to balance motherhood and social life is a constant challenge, but it’s one worth fighting for!
You still deserve to live for yourself and make space for the people that matter to you. Even if socializing no longer looks like weekly late nights out with your friends or spontaneous weekend trips, there is still so much beauty in adapting our social lives to the demands of motherhood. Besides, the people that truly care for and know you will want to be supportive through these changes all the same!
Reach out to Old Friends
Whether it's been days, weeks, or even months since becoming a mum it’s never too late to reach out to your old friends. As much as we wish some people would reach out to us first, many friends don’t know how much time to give mums postpartum before they feel ready to socialize again. So, we get to start the conversation!
Let your people know you’d love to hang out or come meet your little one whenever you’re ready. There is no “right” timeline for this! Every mum's comfort levels are different. If you can’t meet up with friends in person try scheduling a video call or reach out through your favorite social media platforms and send photos or videos to let them know what you’ve been up to.
Initiate Social Activities
When our mum's schedules get a little too hectic sometimes we have to pencil in our social activities! Instead of waiting around for others to make plans happen, why not take initiative ourselves? This gives us time to find a babysitter and plan out the details. Plus it gives us something fun to look forward to!
Here are some fun social activity ideas:
- Schedule play dates– kids get to play and mums get to chat (it’s a win-win)!
- Plan a night out– dinner & drinks with the ladies, anyone?
- Host a dinner party– get the whole fam involved so everyone has a friend!
Look for New Social Groups
Maybe you’re in a new city or just looking for some new like-minded friends to do life with! Meeting new people as a busy mum can be challenging– but it’s not impossible. I recommend joining local Facebook groups to get in contact with other mums and find out about upcoming events! Just like us, there are so many mums looking for a community of supportive women.
Having your friends invite one of their friends is also a great way to meet other like-minded mums! For more tips on how to meet new people check out our blog post.
Being a busy mum doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice our social lives! Find ways that work with your lifestyle to connect with new and old friends. Maybe one of the suggestions above could help! What is your favorite way to connect with friends?