Reply to New to Are: How to Meet Families?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I would focus on the people who live near to you. Invite them a few times for low-key stuff like pizza and hanging out.

If anyone asks you for help with childcare, picking up a kid when they are in a pinch, etc., step right up. This is a great way to befriend people. If the school has any half days, it's great to offer to the other moms that you can take their kids for the half day.

Have you joined the PTA? That can be a good way. [/quote]

This is great advice. We moved to a new neighborhood and I have found that volunteering and being the village you hope to create for other people goes a loooooong way. Offer to watch the kids at your house after an early dismissal day. [/quote]

Offering to watch the kids at your house on an early dismissal day gives a signal to the user parents that they can use you and your family for free childcare. Believe me, there are plenty of user parents and fake nice people in every neighborhood. I find it hilarious because I live in one of these frequently mentioned "old-school" neighborhoods. It's incredibly cliquish and plenty of the moms and dads are just generally not nice people, despite how they may present themselves initially. First - many of these neighborhood friend groups form when the children are babies and toddlers and there is more free time. By the time the kids are elementary aged, the groups have usually had some sort of falling out combined with kids getting older and developing their own interests and activities. I have mid-aged elementary kids and they are over scheduled, but it's activities that they enjoy so it is what is is. Unfortunately, it makes it hard to meet newer families because we have some sort of activity most every evening. I do recommend summer swim if you have access to a pool.

The DC area is extremely competitive. Since elementary school, most of our friends we've met have been through activities (sports, scouts, etc.). We had previously met many people through our neighborhood, but over time you start to realize that you don't actually like many of those people - and you don't need to be friends simply because you live in the same neighborhood and have kids similar ages. Also, over time many of the impromptu neighborhood get togethers have slowed down because of scheduled activities - you're just not around in the elementary through high school years.[/quote]

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