Do you have a friend group (link)

[Anonymous]

Just like extended family, friend groups have their own stress and politics but still enough value to put up with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend group of 7+ moms in my neighborhood. We hang out, party, go on vacations, support each other. They are amazing and wonderful people. Zero drama.

If you're old enough to be a parent and/or pay for your own vacations, then you're too old to use the word "party" as a verb.

[Anonymous]

yes, we met through our spouses.

[Anonymous]

When I was younger I did, but I generally hate the dynamic of friend groups with peer pressure and some drama, I prefer more one on one interactions.

[Anonymous]

I have never had a friend group and i appreciate the author of this piece for writing it.
I am turning 40 and my sister wanted to know if id be celebrating with my friends. My friends are 5 women who i love like sisters and who barely know each other. Theyve heard about each other and seen each other but thats it. I can only make one on one friends. But my sister has a group of a dozen women who all do everything together. She only really loves one of them but they travel in a pack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. I just do individual friends. Groups exhaust me. Yes I’m an introvert

Same.

Elem school taught me about girl group dynamics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. I just do individual friends. Groups exhaust me. Yes I’m an introvert

I also have lots of individual friends rather than a "friend group" ... I don't think that is an introvert thing, but but feel free to show me data.

Never had a friend group, even as a kid.

[Anonymous]

I can't imagine surviving as a parent without a group of like-minded people to support me.
"It takes a village" really is true.

[Anonymous]

I have lots of individuals friends. Their paths rarely meet.
I had a large group of more acquaintances as a young mom. We all helped each other. Knew each other. That was situational but needed and very nice for the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I don’t like friend groups - the superficiality of the interactions isn’t for me - I am not enough of an extrovert that I enjoy just standing around and chatting for it’s own sake on a regular basis.

That said … now that I am older and have more free time, I think I would like a “friend group” that was actually an activity group. I’m going to start looking around for that.

I find it very odd that you think a group of FRIENDS is sitting around being superficial. My closest friend group (about 12 couples total, 8 that are really the core) has been there for deaths, divorces, etc. We aren't just sitting around chatting about the weather.

That’s not the norm

Ok... It's obviously the norm for me and all my friends in that group.

My best friend lives across the state and has a similar group.

My college friends live scattered throughout and all have similar groups.

When I go to my hometown I see the same thing with those old friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend group of 7+ moms in my neighborhood. We hang out, party, go on vacations, support each other. They are amazing and wonderful people. Zero drama.

If you're old enough to be a parent and/or pay for your own vacations, then you're too old to use the word "party" as a verb.

Hmm, I wonder why you don’t have a friend group.

[Anonymous]

Yep! I have some great friend groups. I have one group of neighbors who get together regularly, which is about 7 women plus some have husbands. Then we have a larger group of neighbors who we would invite when we throw parties. I also have my group from my twenties (two of which are now neighbors because I got them to move into my neighborhood). I travel with both groups, have brunch or dinner, drinks downtown, etc.

[Anonymous]

I have friend groups. I have friends that are not in a particular group. Plus, my husband and I usually host one or two large events at our home every year where we literally invite all of our friends and just see who shows up.

1. Group of seven of us from law school. All over the country. Travel to see each other on average every 18 months. We have a text chain that is always pretty active e. I’m closest now with 2 of them that I see more often. We visit once or twice a year. One of them brings their family to visit my family once a year. Separately, I have a sort of “best friend” from law school that isn’t part of the group.
2. Three women I met in my mid-30s that were all in the same Sunday school class. We try to have dinner once a month. Two of them have been best friends for years and the other two of us are newer. One of the women’s husbands is now close with me husband. We travel on couples trips once or twice a year.
3. A marriage group we are in with 5 other couples. We have gotten together once a month for about 10 years.
4. A variety of other one off friends from college and other places.
5. Friends of my husband’s that I am now close with. Includes one single woman and several couples. Some of them have some level of overlap.

My husband and I are extroverts. We are happy to invite people to things with no reciprocation. My husband is even more interested than I am in turning connections into friendships. Because we invite everyone to hang out together at least once a year and we do lots of smaller events at our house as well, lots of our friends are now what I would call “friendly acquaintances” since they have seen each other for years at various events. Recently, two couples who aren’t close but have now known each other for years through us went on an overnight with us to a resort about 1.5 hours away. We all had a great time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have friend groups. I have friends that are not in a particular group. Plus, my husband and I usually host one or two large events at our home every year where we literally invite all of our friends and just see who shows up.

1. Group of seven of us from law school. All over the country. Travel to see each other on average every 18 months. We have a text chain that is always pretty active e. I’m closest now with 2 of them that I see more often. We visit once or twice a year. One of them brings their family to visit my family once a year. Separately, I have a sort of “best friend” from law school that isn’t part of the group.
2. Three women I met in my mid-30s that were all in the same Sunday school class. We try to have dinner once a month. Two of them have been best friends for years and the other two of us are newer. One of the women’s husbands is now close with me husband. We travel on couples trips once or twice a year.
3. A marriage group we are in with 5 other couples. We have gotten together once a month for about 10 years.
4. A variety of other one off friends from college and other places.
5. Friends of my husband’s that I am now close with. Includes one single woman and several couples. Some of them have some level of overlap.

My husband and I are extroverts. We are happy to invite people to things with no reciprocation. My husband is even more interested than I am in turning connections into friendships. Because we invite everyone to hang out together at least once a year and we do lots of smaller events at our house as well, lots of our friends are now what I would call “friendly acquaintances” since they have seen each other for years at various events. Recently, two couples who aren’t close but have now known each other for years through us went on an overnight with us to a resort about 1.5 hours away. We all had a great time.

And I forgot about my book club that meets once a month of about 12 women. 3 of them are my friends from Sunday school and the rest are “friendly acquaintances” — but if I ever truly needed anything, book club would all show up with a casserole and drive me to the hospital.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I just do individual friends. Groups exhaust me. Yes I’m an introvert

I also have lots of individual friends rather than a "friend group" ... I don't think that is an introvert thing, but but feel free to show me data.

Never had a friend group, even as a kid.

When I'm in my office at work, and two friends come by and the three of us are talking, while I enjoy the conversation, once they both leave I have such a distinct feeling of relief. Relief I can now be quiet, hope nobody else will come by wanting to talk for a while, etc. I love the people I love, but all of them together drain me.