Our moves have always been hundreds if not thousands of miles. The kids make new friends and life goes on.

We get together with friends with kids who live 20 minutes away at least once a month. Been doing this for years.
I disagree with some of the other comments - once you start getting together, why don't you alternate houses?

Stay friends. You never know what life will bring, especially in this area. People move all over the DMV for jobs, better schools, neighborhoods. The friends you have now that are 20 minutes away might end up moving closer to you down the road. You just never know! It's also nice to have friends outside of school.

You're going to have to be the one making an effort, you can't expect them to reach out. And you have to go to them, not expect them to come to you.

Yes, but mostly over summer break. The school schedules are too different, and weekends fill up fast.

Yes but less so. Like 2-3x a year instead of all the time. Very planned in advance. It’s like “do we have it in us to take 495 to (insert MD/VA/DC)...” it just technically 10 miles which is 60 min in DC drive time..

The answer becomes less and less frequent once kids are on the activity circuit..

I didn’t believe older moms earnings before kids of “you will never want to go around the beltway with little kids...” they were right.

Of course. 20 minutes is NOTHING.

You have to make the effort. You are the one who moved away.

Of course you can stay friends with your old friends! Just make an effort and invite them over.

But also try to make friends in the new community - probably have to work twice as hard but you'll have twice the friends.

We moved 10 miles (20 minutes) last year. We had become very good friends with several families but now we just rarely get together.

Do you ever stay in touch with kid friends after you or they move?

I have become closer to one friend but we get together without kids. Our kids were classmates a few years ago but never the closest of friends. The closer friends are the ones we seem to not see anymore. They are the ones who lived in our immediate neighborhood, played sports together, etc. I guess those friendships of close proximity and convenience are gone.

My kids have new friends at their new school but the old friends we knew for 5 years. The kids and I miss our old friends.