Day 12: Connect!
As a mother of a toddler living in South America, ask me how hard it is to connect with other moms. Go ahead. Ask me.
It´s really, really ridiculous.
But it´s also really, really important.
So here are some tips, from one connecting-challenged mom, to you:
Moms might have nothing in common except motherhood. That´s okay. That´s all you need. You will find hours and hours of common ground. So the next time you´re at the park, or the playplace, or the library, or wherever, try this out: ¨How old is your baby/son/daughter/etc.?¨ Then follow up with some unsolicited information: ¨Oh, that´s great! Mine is (fill in the age):¨ More often than not, this is all you need for a nice conversation. Feel free to get some contact information or not, depending on the vibes you´re getting.
Use the internet. Not for weird, stalking stuff. Just for all those mommy forums. There are lots of tools out there to help you make some friends with other moms, and ask questions and get advice, and you don´t have to look far. Just open google and go crazy!
Talk to your mom. I know, right? If you have a mom available to you, you suddenly start to value her a lot more once you become a mother. After all, she survived your childhood and teenage years and didn´t kill you. So she´s basically a success! Chat her up! Ask for her advice. You won´t follow all of it, but you will learn a lot in the process, and she will feel like you FINALLY value her opinion. Score.
Check out area churches. Lots of churches offer mommy and me style groups, or even women´s Bible studies. Make it a goal to attend once a month. If you can go more than that, that´s even better. But once a month is a good starting point.
Last, but not least, pray. Here in Ecuador, sometimes this has been the only one of all these tips that has been available to me. Just remember, His grace is enough for today. Let tomorrow worry about itself. And if you trust in Him, you´re gonna be just fine!
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