It shouldn’t surprise you that being a mom is not easy. Whether you have one child or ten, your reality changes when you bring another life into the world.
You’re responsible for this person till they turn eighteen, but in reality, you’ll probably remain a huge part of a child’s life forever.
You might love motherhood, but it’s still helpful to take a break from it sometimes. Maybe that means finding a reliable babysitter and going out for brunch with someone you can talk to about what’s happening in your life.
Who can you talk to about what’s going on with you, though? Some moms report feeling isolated, especially if they’re parenting full-time and gave up a career to raise their kids.
In that situation, you’ll probably cherish certain connections since you can talk to these individuals and unburden yourself if there’s anything on your mind.
We’ll talk about some relationships that moms seem to particularly cherish right now.
Cousins
First cousins share about 12.5% of their DNA. That means if you’re a mom and you have a first cousin, you might both grow up and look very much like each other.
Other people might take you for siblings when they meet you two for the first time.
Some cousins have relationships much like siblings as well. If you’re a mom and your first cousin lives close to you, you might enjoy meeting up with them often so you two can chat.
You can meet with your cousin for breakfast, lunch, or cocktails if you can get a babysitter for your kids. When you get together, you can gossip or talk about whatever you’d like. If you’re experiencing some of the challenges motherhood can bring, you might enjoy this time with a close blood relation.
Old Friends
Maybe you’ve retained contact with old friends from elementary school, middle school, or high school. Perhaps you went to college with some individuals with whom you have remained close.
You can cherish your relationships with these old friends as well. Perhaps you can meet up with some old college friends if you want to have an intellectual conversation, and you feel that’s lacking elsewhere in your life.
You can talk to them about books you’re reading, TV shows you’re binge-watching, or anything else on your mind.
Siblings
Maybe you live near some of your siblings. You might want to meet up with them sometimes and talk to them if you have a lot in common.
Siblings can share a background since, presumably, you grew up in the same household. You can use that as a relationship’s foundation.
Maybe you’re still close, and you’re living very similar lives. Perhaps you both have kids, or you have multiple other siblings that started families around the same time you did.
You can all get together, and your kids can play with each other. You can talk amongst yourselves while keeping an eye on them. You can always go somewhere else and talk to your siblings as well if you can get a reliable babysitter.
Even if you turned out different from your siblings, that doesn’t mean you can’t talk to each other if you need an opinion about something. Just because you don’t see eye to eye on everything, that does not necessarily mean you don’t value their input if you’re having a problem or there’s something on your mind.
Neighbors
You might find that you get along well with your neighbors. They might come over, and you can talk to them while your kids play nearby. Perhaps the neighbors even have kids close to the same age, and they can have a playdate together.
Maybe your neighbors have a similar background to yours, or perhaps they’ve moved to your city from elsewhere.
Either way, you may enjoy talking to them about what’s happening in your life. They might offer advice, or you can use them as a sounding board.
You might talk about politics with them, or religion, or even something innocuous like the weather if you don’t want to get into a deeper discussion.
If you have a retired neighbor or another stay-at-home parent on your block, you might enjoy having them over to break up the day’s routine.
Moms need relationships, and some of the ones we mentioned can work well for you. Everyone should have people with whom they can talk sometimes, and your life should feel richer if you’ve got some loyal friends and companions.
