Sharing is caring!
We understand that making friends with other parents of your kid’s class friends isn’t the most straightforward task in the world. Making new friends, in general, is a little intimidating for everyone.
But now your child has developed a bond with another kid in class, and you find yourself wanting to get to know the kid’s parents and develop a similar relationship. What exactly should you do?
In this article, we’ll be going over a few simple tips that will help you get closer and make friends with other parents in your kid’s class. Let’s jump right into it.
Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe
Being yourself and living your truth is an essential thing in life, so don’t go out of your way to look like the cool mom/dad, unless this is really who you are. Understanding that the way you carry yourself attracts like-minded parents is essential to making quality friends in general.
If you’re into some nerdy stuff or you’re obsessed with a particular dad-rock band, embrace it go to your kid’s school wearing that Star Wars shirt or that Journey shirt. Who knows, maybe you’ll get to meet a parent that shares the same interests you do.
Be the First to Initiate Conversation
It is arguably the most challenging step you can take, but once you do it, you’ll realize that it’s addictive. So what’s the best way you can start a conversation? Compliments! Complimenting a fellow parent about his/her clothes or child is the best way to befriend a parent.
Another bold way you can start a conversation is by randomly chiming in when you overhear the parent talking about a specific experience they’ve gone through that you may have gone through yourself. It doesn’t have to be positive; you can bond over negativity as well.
Among the best locations where you can find many parents of your kid’s friends are the school’s dropoff and pickup spot. Additionally, you can find more parents on the school’s playground, and you’ll see them attending the countless school events that take place every season.
When initiating contact with a parent, it’s advised not to have high expectations or any at all. It’s much better to go with the flow and to understand that if a parent rejects your invitation to hang out, it just means that they might have other plans or they’re just not looking for that close of a friend.
Host a Playdate at Your House
Playdates aren’t just social events for kids to play; adults can enjoy a swell time at a playdate as well. If the playdate goes according to plan, everyone will surely get a blast out of it. There are a few rules of engagement rules that you need to keep in mind, though.
In playdates, less is more. Try your best to keep the numbers low to eliminate awkward silences that are usually associated with large numbers of people being at the same place. In addition to not having to chase kids all over the place. It just makes the interactions go smoother.
When hosting a playdate, you want to be the perfect host. Simple things like asking if your guest has specific food allergies or letting your child share a few toys that he/she doesn’t want. Simple things like that go a long way.
Avoid Using Alienating Statements
It’s vital to understand that families are different from one another, some parents have adopted children, some are step-parents, and some are transracial. You’ll also find families that share entirely different traditions and beliefs from yours, so be open-minded and highly respectful of such things at all times.
Developing a high sense of cultural awareness is an excellent thing for you to work on. It also goes a long way to understand the attitudes and values that the parents of your child’s school friend are treasuring if they’re from a different country or background from yours.
Less Speaking and More Listening
Do you know everyone’s favorite topic to talk about? Themselves! Based on the assumption that the momentum between you and another parent is going okay, it’d better for you to do less more of the listening and less of the talking. Just let them tell you about their children or their work.
Again, having fewer expectations here is the best way to go here because not everyone is going to open up about themselves right away. If you find that the person is a great communicator, try asking them questions to get the ball rolling, don’t get too personal about it.
It’s worth noting that the more you talk, the more you can slip up and say something that offends the other parent. That’s why we’re so fond of mindful listening over speaking. It doesn’t mean that you go mute mode, a conversation is a lot like tennis, you hit the ball then wait for the other person to hit it back.
Not Every Friendship is Meant to Last
As a parent, you know how difficult it is to prioritize friendships over your kids and work, imagine how building a bond with another parent would look like; it’ll probably take forever. Studies show that it takes around 50 hours with another person to go from just acquaintances to casual friends.
The studies have also shown that it takes about 90 hours to move to the friend stage and about 200 hours to become good friends. If it’s meant to be, you both will try to find ways to capitalize on your friendship. If it’s not, know that it’s okay and that not every friendship is meant to last and that you’ve done your best to keep the ball rolling.
Final Words
Befriending parents from your child’s class isn’t rocket science, you should go about it the same way you do with everyone else. Be yourself, be gentle, be open-minded, and you’ll find that it’s a bundle of fun getting to know new people.
