Making Friends at School

[pregsmcsnooznomore]

Nope, not a question about how to help the babes make friends at school...

There have been several events I've attended at DS's Montessori school that've had many of the parents of the class there, and I have no idea how to make friends with the other parents!  I totally want to be friends with them, but I'm terribly shy with strangers and in unfamiliar situations, and I have zero experience with this whole thing!  At these events I always feel really self-conscious and don't know how to act!

There is no parents association at the school, and only the school's official Facebook site, which does not appreciate random parent conversation-starters.  

How do you guys get to know the other parents?  I mean, our kids are friends (well, as much friends as 2 year olds can be), shouldn't we be friends?  Or at least know each other?  Are you friends with the parents at your kids' schools?  I have a great mommy group, so I'm not hurting for mommy friends, I just think it would be nice to not have the other parents be strangers and to not feel so awkward at his school.

Thoughts??

[jnnfrrose6]

I was friendly with the other parents at our last school, but by no means friends. It's not really in my nature either (and I don't even have the excuse of having other mommy friends. I don't have many IRL friends). One time a mom brought up a potential play date on a Saturday for some of the kids, but I don't know if it actually happened or not. If it did, we weren't included. We were also unique in that the school wasn't near where we lived, but where I worked, so get togethers outside of school weren't easy for us anyways and we never "randomly" ran into other families at the grocery store or anything like that.

Our new school we haven't have any parent things that we could meet other parents at (yet) so we'll see if it's different there.

[liziz]

We're only at her school a couple days each week (will be full time next week), but I hardly see the other parents, unless one is picking up right when I am (H does drop offs). So far, the kids that are there full days like DD is have older siblings also at the school, so their parents haven't been particularly in to it. I'm hoping that when she's there full time, just natural interaction with parents at pick up times will help, but I'm not sure.

[soon2bmrsn]

It's hard! I've had kids for awhile and have really only been successful in befriending our two closest neighbors who have kids the same ages. So proximity has been key. I haven't had much luck making friends with any daycare parents because I so rarely see them. I'm starting to interact a bit more with a mom of two of DS1's friends (they're twins). He went to their birthday party a few weeks ago, she requested me on FB and we've chatted a bit. They're coming to DS's party in a couple of weeks so hopefully I'll get a chance to talk to her again. Maybe I'm just awkward? I don't have many IRL friends either besides a couple of coworkers and the aforementioned neighbors.

[pregsmcsnooznomore]

Well at least I'm not the only one who feels awkward!! I wonder if the other parents in DS's class feel the same way.

I'm thinking about maybe starting a toddler class FB group as a sort of parent association. The toddler class goes 18mo-3 years, then if it goes well I could start another one when he moves to the preschool class (3-6 years). Is that crazy talk? Would you join such a group? I was thinking it could be a place to discuss milestones, challenges, questions, and share about events at the school.

I would probably wait until the next school year starts to create the group...

[pregsmcsnooznomore]

Then there's the challenge of figuring out how to let the other parents KNOW about the group...

[anotherdreamer]

No idea, following. I am socially awkward anyway, and I'm usually too busy chasing kids to stop and chat.

[jnnfrrose6]

pregsmcsnooznomore, honestly I wouldn't join a FB group like that if it wasn't school sanctioned.

[olive]

Maybe find out who your LO really likes playing with and set up a play date with the mom. Leave a note in the friends cubby if you won't see them for a while. Leave your number and see if they call to set up a play date. I feel like that's the only way I'd be able to make a friend. Lol

[Lola]

I say hello to the other parents, but am not friends with them. We also live pretty far from daycare so I feel like having a play date or inviting them to a birthday party is out of the question. All of the boys is Q's class are also J14, and I feel like I could relate to them but im way too awkward to make conversation. Im no help. sorry.