How to balance between being a parent and having a social life
Most people believe becoming a parent means that your old life-- socializing, hanging out with friends, the impromptu events, the spontaneous life and fun nightlife, dies.
Just in case you haven’t heard this saying, “Parenthood test friendships and soon after birth, many moms find themselves alone”. I am sure you can relate to seeing your friends have fun without inviting you because you have cancelled countless times and they got tired of your constant declines.
Good News is, being a new mom doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to your social life, you can actually balance your work life, family life, and social life.
There are many ways to enjoy your social life as a new mom. From making mom friends to throwing house parties, having some “me” and reconnecting with your new friends. Here’s how!
Put Your Kids In a Class: instead of spending the whole weekend taking care of your kids and cleaning, you could enrol them on music classes, Arabic class, swimming class where they can also socialize with other kids, learn new things and explore. It also gives you that opportunity to spend time with your spouse even if you don’t feel like hanging out with your friends, you can also have some “me” time.
Ask for Help: If your parents stay nearby or your kids love to spend time with Grandpa, a weekend at your Grandparent’s house is a great escape to having fun with your friends. You could also hire a nanny if you didn’t have a family member that stays around. Although getting a nanny these days can be expensive and a bit tricky…. I mean, you can’t totally trust a stranger. you trust or get a camera if your nanny is new. But don’t forget, nannies also have a life, they need to spend time with their families too and also socialize.
Organize your Weekend ahead: if you plan your weekend, you could meet up with other plans except for impromptu events that come up which cannot be avoided. Some plans can help you in planning ahead and also help you remember things you need to get done. Quick one… if your hang out is by 6, make sure your kid's dinner is ready before 6 and you’ve prepared their bed for sleep, you could even let your kids sleep in your room so they don’t miss mummy and daddy too much!
Stick to plans: Stop finding excuses to cancel plans. if your spouse is home that weekend and could stay with the kids, do it, if you could drop your kids with your mum, do it, just find an alternative and stop being that friend that doesn’t show up! Getting out of your home could ease stress and could make you feel like yourself again.
Make Mom friends: a great way to improve your social life as a mom is to make mom friends too. Share your mommy emotions, express your postnatal fears, with people that understand how you feel. Listening Is a Two Way Street, no one likes that friend that keeps ranting about their problems and doesn’t care about others. You could learn new tricks from other moms on how they joggle their social life and being a parent.
Go with your kids: Of course, your kid's well-being is a priority and you can feel guilty sometimes when you leave them with your parents or a nanny, but taking them along sometimes can be a win-win for everyone. Weekend hangouts are great and having kids shouldn’t stop your
fun. You could decide you want to take your kids along depending on the kind of social gathering. Weddings, outdoor events, birthday are safe for kids as long as you have a nanny that will go with you while you have fun with your friends to avoid unnecessary interruptions.
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