I Need Your
Tips on Making New Family Friends
So Curly has spent about four years at daycare, mostly
full-time. It’s been a good experience. However, I have found many of the
parents don’t even greet you back, don’t even acknowledge that you held the
gate open for them, nor even look you in the eyes when the carers try to
initiate a conversation involving you and them.
I’m a very friendly person and I look for opportunities to
make new friends whenever I go out (if I’m in a good mood). But although many
of the parents have been taking their kids to that daycare for the last four
years, only a handful have ever said a word to me or my husband.
Maybe they’re too busy, miserable or plain rude! I don’t
know. Was I hoping for too much? I suppose. 2012 is Curly’s last year there. He’ll
be going part time since he will be starting kindergarten in February. So that
would mean entering a brand new crowd of kids and their mums and dads. Now if
this year we don’t succeed at making some new friends from the school, then I’m
going to scream!
So here’s my question to you mums, dads and guardians...how do YOU go about making new friends as a
family and how do you make friends
with the parents of your kids’ friends?
Bio: Silly Mummy
lives at http://www.sillymummy.com. She’s married to the Scientist and is mum to Curly, a 4yo boy. She
works and mummies full-time, studies part-time, blogs in-between and still has
time to read John Grisham.
Posts
Now that my kids are in Primary School, they are wanting more time with their friends after school, on weekends and in school holidays, and it's been much easier to get to know the parents of their friends. It was the same at kinder. When they were in child care, I didn't get to know any of the parents as drop offs & pick ups were at different times.
ReplyDeleteHi Melissa. So did you just go up to them and introduce? Do the schools organise parents events that give these opportunities to meet? Taaa.
DeleteJust found you through the social parade at Smart & Trendy moms! Following!
ReplyDeleteThis one is a hard one for me. I personally have been burnt by other parents in the past so tend to stick to myself. Some of the women at my childrens school are too cruel for words. However, there are a select few lovely ladies who i have a chat with in the afternoons when waiting for class to finish. This has progressed to playdates and weekend bbq's.
ReplyDeleteI think this is where icebreakers come in handy.
"has anyone heard about the gastro outbreak going on?"
or
" Does anyone else think the afternoon song is cute?"
People may stare at you like a mad lady, but I am sure you will get one or two replies and that gives you room to progress. The following afternoon ask another question or smile and say hello.
It takes a bit of guts and putting yourself out there but you may just reap the benefits!
Thanks Thriftmumma. I will use the icebreaker tips you gave. I hope all this turns out good. My son starts on 1st Feb, I'm nervous! lol
ReplyDelete