We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: parenting is HARD. It’s full of joy and love but can also be one of the loneliest jobs in the world, especially if you’re a single parent. Whether you’re a first-time parent or a seasoned one, you can truly never be surrounded by too many people who have been there before and can offer advice, guidance, or even a non-judgmental ear to vent to. 

Finding fellow parents you can trust and feel comfortable turning to can be exhausting if you don’t know where to look. The last thing any parent needs is another task on their to-do list, particularly one as seemingly impossible as finding the time or knowing where to start when it comes to making new friends. So, we’ve put together a few tips to help guide you along the way.

Who Should My Parenting Circle Consist Of?

Anyone you want! But if you’re looking for some specific examples, here’s a good place to start:

• Immediate family 
• Close friends – regardless of if they have kids or not
• Fellow parent friends-of-friends 
• Your local community
• Parenting clubs and groups – both in-person and virtual
• Local daycares
• Social media connections

How Do I Build My Parenting Circle?

Local parenting groups, listservs, and meetups are the best place to start. And your immediate community will most likely be full of groups, events, and classes made specifically for parents. Cafes, community centers, daycares, and preschools are brilliant places to start looking for these kinds of offerings; for example, MOP (moms of preschoolers) and Mommy & Me classes. Posting on an app like Nextdoor asking for referrals to any local mom groups takes less than five minutes but can easily result in really helpful recommendations. And even something as simple as offering to carpool for neighbors can be the beginning of long-lasting friendships.

There are also SO many online communities today, made specifically for moms and dads; we’re so lucky to live in a time when technology enables us to connect with others so easily!  For example, Moshi has two Facebook Groups, Dreamy Bedtimes and Generation Moshi, where parents convene virtually to offer advice, vent, ask questions, and so much more. Social media really is a great tool for finding local communities, and there are so many message boards, Facebook, WhatsApp, and even LinkedIn groups that have great resources enabling you to immediately connect with like-minded parents. You can also have luck by searching your town or city name on social media plus the word “moms” and see what comes up. Most towns have very active mom groups!

And, of course, in today’s day and age, there are so many apps available that specialize in helping parents find their circle. We love Peanut, Expectful, MamaLeave, MomCo, and Hello Mamas the best for connecting with other moms.

What Are the Benefits of Having a Parenting Circle?

Filling your circle with local connections comes with tons of benefits– playdates, babysitting, daycare suggestions, naptime friend dates– but it’s important not to downplay the ingenuity of online connections, either. Finding people or groups online means opening yourself up to a world in which you can get answers and help, 24 hours a day, from real parents who are experiencing, or have already experienced, whatever it is you may be dealing with. 

The greatest benefit of having a parenting circle is the plethora of transformational tips and suggestions. Your circle has most likely tried and tested every parenting product known to man, so if it’s approved by them, you can assume it’s likely worthwhile. 

For example, we’ve recently made it even easier to refer friends to Moshi who may be dealing with toddler bedtime battles. (Shameless plug: it’s as simple as tapping the star icon in the top right corner of the app!)

Surrounding yourself with support is key to all stages of parenting – it’s not just about making sure your precious little ones are looked after, but also about making sure you’re looked after.

Alyssa Morgan