Do you ever feel like you've been left behind in your circle of friends?

[BekZ]

Hi,

We started our family later than a lot of our friends and I am finding that as my friends return to work or their kids go to school that I feel left behind. Don't get me wrong I chose to have each of my children and tbh I don't know if I am finished either. But at the same time I get little pangs of jealousy of the new found life and freedom most of my girlfriends have.

It doesn't help when they make comments about not wishing the newborn and toddler stage on themselves ever again whilst looking at me with sympathy.

Anyone else feel this way???

[LaDeeDa]

Yup! My best friend has just returned to work because my godson is at school and I feel a little left behind now...and my other GF has just enrolled in uni and put her older kids in daycare...
Feel like I am running out of things to talk about with them now...

[Rivlas]

We had our kids after 7 years of marriage and loved it at kinder & school as they didn't realise that I was about 5 years older than them. Great way to stay feeling young.
By the time they get to late primary/secondary things even out.
You will find a new friends as your children find friends when they start kinder/school.
Make the most of this time as you will become a grandparent before you realise it, time goes so fast.

[foreva*your*mummy]

My situation is a little different, we had our children young me 19 dp 17, so are now soon to have 3. BUT all our friends are older than us so around 36 im now 27 and they look at me being pregnant and the things to come and say the same things, like glad its not us and gee glad i dont have to be getting up to a new born soon. so I know what you mean about the comments.

[Loula]

It funny i was thinking only yesterday how we have felt a little left behind due to our TTC issues (not that was our friends intention, just life)

anyway i was only thinking about how and when our lives will stat to connect again, when they start returning to work, the children get older, they start to holiday as a couple again, it will be a while as others have only just started their families, but something i thought no the less.

[Jellyfish]

Yes but in the opposite way! Me and DP are the first of our friends to have a child so while they are off on trips around the world, out every weekend and studying at Uni... I am at home changing nappies and singing nursery rhymes! Whilst I was pregnant, I felt the divide but things are starting to get heaps better now that DD is a tad older (5 months) and more predictable -- they seem to be over at our place every second day and it is much easier to find time to go out with them!

[Bun]

I find the opposite with my friends. A lot are yet to have children and just have no idea what it is like to have small children, ie - I can't go and hang out at funky coffee shops at ridiculous times with a one year old! It is very hard now that we have moved interstate and I only see my old friends when I am visiting Perth as I can't just invite them over like I used to because I am staying with my parents or ILs. Sometimes I just wish they would invite us over to one of their places rather than suggesting ridiculous venues! Oh well, one is preggers now so will soon realise.... I also sometimes get a little jealous when I see my friends or old colleagues get promoted to positions I know I would be in had I still been working and while I would not change my life at all, sometimes I wish it was me... especially when a completely incompetent (and childless) old colleague of mine recently got appointed an associate!

[missya]

I feel the divide between myself and my friends because we were the first in our group of friends to have my babies at 26 and 28. I made new friends through my babies (while still trying to stay in touch with old ones) and then later my friends then started theirs when mine were between 5 and 7. Now their babies are older and my friends I made with children the same age as mine have 9 and 11 year olds as mine are and now I find myself due to give birth number three. So I feel I don't fit in with anyone now. They all have the reaction "oh god so glad it's not me!" Which hurts everytime you hear it, and gets old real quick. Some have been positive but not many..yes it was a surprise pregnancy and yes I'm now 37, and yes its Ok for them to think it but do they have to keep saying it.
So thats my story, gets abit lonely at times but soon I'll be juggling three kids so hopefully I won't have time to feel too lonely.
All the best
Cheers Missy