5 Reasons Old Friends Make the Best Mom Friends
Once you become a mom, your girlfriends take on a whole new level of importance. So often, they're the ones that talk you down from the ledge after a truly horrendous day, give you small but life-changing parenting tips, save you in a childcare pinch, and remind you to laugh at the craziness that is parenting young children.
Although it's great to have all types of mom friends (and to maintain friendships with old friends who haven't taken the parenting plunge yet), there's one kind of friendship that rises of above the pack: the friends you had way before you ever thought about having kids, who just happened to have kids around the same time you did. Here are five reasons why.
1. They know and love the real you, before mom life took over.
I've met new mom friends who, months into our friendship, still don't know my college major or that I still work part-time. It's not that they're not interested, it's just that talking about our kids always takes over the conversation. My old friends already know my backstory, and they're interested in talking about me, my work, and probably how awful some of the guys I dated before I met my husband were, not just my kids' latest milestone. And who doesn't like to talk about themselves?
2. They've already seen you at your most embarrassing, so it's easy to get real.
Remember that time you threw up in the sorority parking lot after drinking too much cheap beer or wore the same unwashed jeans for two months because you didn't have quarters for laundry (not that I'd know anything about either of those)? They do, and they still stuck around. So talking about chapped nipples, post-delivery poo, or any of the other myriad pregnancy-related embarrassments is so not a big deal.
3. They could care less what your house/outfit/car/current attitude look like.
What's the true pinnacle of a great friendship? Someone who you wouldn't mind seeing you or your house at your worst. Old friends most likely saw the dump you lived in post-college and/or the horrible outfits you wore during your emo stage in high school, so a few toys and dust balls won't faze them in the least.
4. They automatically love your kids and you love theirs.
The chemistry you have with women you've known and loved for decades has a magical way of transferring to your kids. Even if you live on opposite sides of the country, there's an automatic bond you'll feel with each other's children that requires no work at all.
5. They make for the most fun moms' night out.
A moms' night out with new friends can feel a little like a first date. Everyone is on their best behavior (i.e. boring). But make it out for a night on the town with friends who probably bought you a shot on your 21st birthday, and you know it's going to be big fun.