Many women are surprised to discover motherhood can be as cliquey as the movie Mean Girls, only things can get way more fugly.
Baby groups can feel so closed to new mamas, and it can be hard to strike up conversation with groups of women you don’t know.
5 Reasons To Say Hi To A Mama You Don’t Know Today
If you’ve already found your tribe of mama friends, you can still be a friendly face to new mamas and help them to feel relaxed and find their feet in the murky waters of motherhood.
As they say, be the change you want to see in the world. You can play a key role in helping new parents to feel valued, welcomed and part of a community.
And the best thing? It’s easy to do. Here are 5 reasons why you should say hi to a mama you don’t know today (and tomorrow, and the day after…)
#1: She Might Need A Friend
Being a mama isn’t easy and, for some, it can take a lot of effort to get out of the door and go to baby group.
There is nothing worse than dragging your butt out of the door for baby group only to spend the entire group sitting by yourself while group of friends chat around you.
Look around you next time you’re at a group, the room is full of sleep-deprived mamas who are desperate for someone to talk to. Be that person. Say hi, smile and ask how they are. Listen to their concerns, build their confidence and show them there is a whole world filled with friendly mamas they can talk to.
#2: You Might Make A New Friend
You can never have too many friends. It’s always good to have plenty of people to call on, if you need to find someone to have a playdate with on a rainy day, or meet at the park to let your toddlers run off steam.
If you keep connecting with new mamas, you’ll expand your social circle and, by association, your kid’s social circle. The days are long and if you’re open to meeting new people and making new friends, you’ll have plenty of playdates to fill them with.
That new mama might have a sense of humour to match yours or be interested in the same things, so be friendly and connect with her.
#3: You’ll Set A Good Example
You want your children to be kind to others and good at making friends, so show them how that’s done. Be inclusive. Reach out to people sitting by themselves and you’ll see your kid modelling that behaviour in the future.
If you want your child to grow up with lots of friends and a compassion towards other people, make sure they see those traits in your adult interactions.
It’s all very well telling our kids to go and say hi, but they’re more likely to do it after seeing us do it plenty of times. Teach friendliness by being friendly, it’s simple.
#4: It Will Break Down Barriers
If the baby group you go to feels cliquey, remember it doesn’t have to be that way. Just because nobody else is chatting to new people and making new friends, doesn’t mean you have to follow suit.
You can break the mould and welcome unknown mamas into the group. It might even start a baby group revolution as others follow your example.
Instead of sitting with your friends the whole time, take ten minutes out of the group to circulate and smile at unfamiliar faces. Give those brand new mamas a great impression of the group by striking up a conversation with them.
#5: It’s Easy
All you have to do is be friendly, so why wouldn’t you do it? It’s not going to cost you anything, it won’t be difficult and it could make a huge difference to somebody’s day.
Make an effort to chat to new people at groups and at the park, let those new mamas know they’re not invisible. The great thing about motherhood is it gives you something to talk about.
You might not know anything about the mama, but you can easily strike up a conversation about sleepless nights or how old her kid is. You’ll benefit too, because you’ll meet more people and get to talk about more things, so do it for those reasons, too.
What do you think? Are you ready to join the revolution? Let’s open up motherhood and welcome everybody in. Kids will play with anyone at the park, isn’t it time we followed their example and built a community of happy, connected parents?
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