“I met someone at the park the other day.
And by someone, I mean another mom.
And I’m now convinced I’m probably the most awkward person ever.
Because when I meet new moms that I like—you know, those gems you happen upon where it’s like you just get this sense that you could totally be friends and hang out and let your kids do a terrible job of sharing toys with each other while you try to talk to another adult for once today instead of tiny humans who may or may not have just flushed a Go-GURT tube down the toilet—I tend to FREAK OUT.
And act like a total weirdo.
I mean, maybe I’m normal in the moment.
Casually chat about our kids and super basic small talk and make sure my kids don’t eat it on the playground so she doesn’t think I’m the worst mom on the planet.
Done, done, and mostly done.
But then comes the goodbye.
And I’m all—WHAT DO I DO?
Should I hug her?
No, that’s too much.
Is it weird to ask for her number?
I mean I don’t want to date her, I just want to be her friend, but I know that if I don’t get her contact information so that I can spend the next day mulling over how soon is too soon to text her and propose a playdate, she might be gone.
For forever.
So…what’s the typical protocol here?
Because I definitely don’t want to seem clingy, either.
‘I have other friends, I promise!
And my house is usually a mess, if that helps!
I also won’t even begin to tell you how to raise your kids, as an added bonus!
And my kids aren’t perfect and will act a total hot mess from time to time, which just might make your kids look like angels!’
Seriously, is there some handbook that I don’t know about?
‘The Normal, Non-sketchy-seeming Way of Making Mom Friends’?
Someone, please tell me, is this a thing?
Because I’m tired of running into other moms who seem cool and nice and non-judgy and letting them slip right through my sticky-with-who-knows-what fingers.
Ugh, mom-dating.
It’s like real dating, but worse.
So if you happen to be a mom-dating expert, please, I beg you—TEACH ME YOUR WAYS.
And then write the dang handbook.
I’ll buy a copy.
Promise.”
Credit: Kisses From Boys with Krista Ward
