Making friends

[Godsloveapples]

I moved to London 1 month ago and I'm a new stay at home mom. All of my friends are in San Diego and I do have some friends here whom are friends and relatives of my husband but I'd like to make new friends and I don't know how :s. I'm used to Americans where you say hi or smile at anyone in the street, which thus gives an opening for conversation but in London people are different. You don't smile at strangers or say hello to them. I find Londoners to be quite "cold" compared to Americans. I'm usually home all day with my baby but I go grocery shopping and try to take him out to the park every now and then. Then I just clean the house and cook dinner for my husband. The highlight of my day is when hubby gets home, other than that I just feel so alone. I'd love to go out with other moms but have no idea how to meet or even approach them! Help!

 

[AUFred]

Look around for opportunities to get involved with other Mom's such as a church Mom's day out. A park is an opportunity. Activities for your child will present an opportunity to meet other young moms. Cultural differences may seem less over time. Good Luck.

 

[Natasha]

Surely there's some internet "meet up" type groups or something? I'll be honest, I haven't put in the effort to make many friends since I've moved to Massachusetts. Any friends I have I've either met through work or already had before I came here. Now that I'm settled in a place that actually feels like home, I'm planning on starting to branch out.

 

[The Man]

Pub...you dont have to get drunk.

 

[Aries]

Seems that the park would be a good place to strike up a conversation with other moms.

 

[The Man]

Seems that the park would be a good place to strike up a conversation with other moms.

Perfect.

 

[Natasha]

I just joined Meetup. Hoping to make some new friends around here. It breaks it down into different interest groups. I didn't look to see if it's international, but maybe that's an option for you?

 

[porterjack]

meet up is in Canada too

 

[Joe the meek]

As others have stated, reach out.

I moved to London 1 month ago and I'm a new stay at home mom. All of my friends are in San Diego and I do have some friends here whom are friends and relatives of my husband but I'd like to make new friends and I don't know how :s. I'm used to Americans where you say hi or smile at anyone in the street, which thus gives an opening for conversation but in London people are different. You don't smile at strangers or say hello to them. I find Londoners to be quite "cold" compared to Americans!

I believe you're comparing apples to oranges here. I think overall England has very "warm" people (can you say Pub LOL). Have someone from England move to LA or NYC and I have no doubt that they could feel the same way about America as you do England right now. Heck, I just got into a discussion with a local "southerner" who complained that people up North aren't as nice or sociable as people down south.

Generally, no matter where you travel in the world, people are the same no matter where you go.

 

[Natasha]

Heck, I just got into a discussion with a local "southerner" who complained that people up North aren't as nice or sociable as people down south.

There IS a difference, but I honestly think it has a lot more to do with the pace than anything. In the South we talk slow, we hang around and shoot the shit, etc. In the North, things tend to be rushed a lot. Having said that, I haven't met that many Massholes.

 

[The Man]

Pub...and whine about the Muslims...you will have plenty to talk about.

 

[Joe the meek]

There IS a difference, but I honestly think it has a lot more to do with the pace than anything. In the South we talk slow, we hang around and shoot the shit, etc. In the North, things tend to be rushed a lot. Having said that, I haven't met that many Massholes.

There is a difference between communication styles between the north and south, but I didn't state that people were less friendlier up North (which I believe is false).

Kind of like saying southerners don't know how to drive in snow LOL (which I believe is somewhat true, but the same thing can be said for northerners).

Fact is, you have idiots on both sides of the Mason Dixon line.

 

[Natasha]

There is a difference between communication styles between the north and south, but I didn't state that people were less friendlier up North (which I believe is false).

Kind of like saying southerners don't know how to drive in snow LOL (which I believe is somewhat true, but the same thing can be said for northerners).

Fact is, you have idiots on both sides of the Mason Dixon line.

I agree w/ all of this. And I agree that some Yankees (sorry, old habits, LOL) don't know how to drive, either. That's clearly evident by the amount of cars I see in snowbanks AND the fact that I have had to stop not once, but twice, to get help for someone who drove their car into the airport's fence b/c they were driving too damn fast in the snow.

On the original topic, I checked and they DO have meetup for London! http://www.meetup.com/cities/gb/17/london/

I went to my first meetup tonight and am SO glad I did. It was so much fun!

 

[Springtime]

Honestly, I do not make new friends online or on the street or park. I meet my friends in my school and workplace. I've also made friend with a neighbor.

 

[RUBESH]

I moved to London 1 month ago and I'm a new stay at home mom. All of my friends are in San Diego and I do have some friends here whom are friends and relatives of my husband but I'd like to make new friends and I don't know how :s. I'm used to Americans where you say hi or smile at anyone in the street, which thus gives an opening for conversation but in London people are different. You don't smile at strangers or say hello to them. I find Londoners to be quite "cold" compared to Americans. I'm usually home all day with my baby but I go grocery shopping and try to take him out to the park every now and then. Then I just clean the house and cook dinner for my husband. The highlight of my day is when hubby gets home, other than that I just feel so alone. I'd love to go out with other moms but have no idea how to meet or even approach them! Help!

I'm sad to hear you're lonely in your new city. Making new acquaintances in a new area might be difficult, but it is certainly doable. Here are a few ideas:

Join local mom groups: Many mom groups in London may be located on social media or by conducting a fast web search. These clubs are an excellent way to meet other parents in your region and organize playdates or adventures.

Attend baby courses: Enrolling in baby programs, such as music or painting classes, can be a terrific opportunity to meet other women with similar-aged babies.

Consider helping out at a local charity or community group. This may be a terrific opportunity to meet new people while also helping others.

 

[astutimeliana723]

As for me, I can start by sharing food or small gifts with new neighbors/new friends, continuing to chat in between times, even if it's for a while. Do it often, then gradually you will feel comfortable and familiar with each other.

 

[cherry123]

Making friends with cold people can be pretty difficult. So you need to look around for opportunities to get involved with other Moms