I love people. Plain and simple. I’m a classic extrovert.
When I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to stay at home with my little guy, but thoughts of being alone as an extrovert began to plague my mind. Would I lose all of my friends? What would happen to my social life? Where would I find other moms? Should I stalk other pregnant women at Buy Buy Baby and force my friendship upon them? All of these questions lingered in my mind as my bump expanded and my energy and lung capacity dwindled.
I am now on the four month mark of being a stay-at-home mommy, and I absolutely love it. However, there are nights when I get into bed and yearn for conversations beyond begging a child to nap. I can tell my husband what the talk shows covered but not much about what happened in the lives of my friends.
Whether you are in introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in the middle, we all long for community and meaningful friendships. So, I have compiled a quick and easy list of ways to stay connected with the outside world as a stay-at-home mom. Hopefully, these tips can help you maintain sanity on a day when your only interactions consist of sweet coos and blowing bubbles.
Find a Play Date Group
This one is a win-win! The kiddos get out of the house, socialize, and get to play in a new place with new people. Extrovert mommies get to leave the house and visit with local moms who are likely in the same season of life, or have been recently. I began taking Hudson to play groups when he was just eight weeks old. He had no idea what was going on, but boy did I need to just sit with other ladies and talk about teething, sleepless nights, and epidurals. Are you looking for a group to plug into? Check out the FWMB Neighbor Groups!
Invite Someone Over (and Don’t Clean Up)
This one was hard to imagine doing as my dishes lay unwashed, carpets remained unvacuumed, and hair was undone. But, if I wait until my house and hair are perfect, I will never invite people into my home. (I have been waiting 27 years for perfect hair . . . I’m still holding out hope.) Invite people into the mess, chaos, and noise. Will your kids behave perfectly while you and your friends sip a perfectly brewed cuppa joe? Probably not. But do it anyway. I have made some sweet memories sitting on the floor of a fellow new mom’s apartment as we both held crying babies and laughed about it later.
Walk It Out
A sweet neighbor of mine once asked if I would go walk with her and her stroller full of babies around our graduate school. This request was not fancy, and we didn’t discuss world issues or life matters. We just walked for 30 minutes and talked about being moms. It was good for my legs and good for my soul. It was a way to get out of the house (still wearing yoga pants), let my baby soak in some sunshine, and connect with another momma. Combining exercise and conversation has been a fantastic way to thrill my little extroverted heart.
I know there are days when leaving the house just won’t be a reality. Blowouts happen. Meltdowns occur. Laundry must be done. (Ugh.) But it is so good for us stay-at-home moms to find ways to be in meaningful relationships that incorporate our sweet babies. As I navigate my way through being an extroverted, stay-at-home mom, I desire to raise my son well and healthily, while still caring for myself and my friendships. It isn’t easy to juggle and requires effort, but it is worth it!
What do you do to stay connected to your “outside” world? I’d love to know!
From one extroverted SAHM to another, AMEN!! Now that my kiddos are older it’s so much easier b/c most of them want to be hanging out w/ other people too. Hang in there, mama!